When Suzanne arrives at Ohio State University in 1949 as one of a handful of Black freshmen, she discovers the "safe haven" of academia offers little sanctuary. Decades later, the accomplished writer returns to her alma mater to speak about her work—and unravels the heartbreaking truth and chilling mystery of her life lived in the shadows.

The air is toxic. Murder is a business. Nature is for the wealthy. But if you're a good enough assassin, you may be offered an escape. Killing to earn his way out, The Rider is targeted by shadowy corporations, revolutionaries, and rival assassins clawing their way towards the same escape.