When a teenage girl's body is discovered in a boat between Tybee Island and Cape Refuge, all evidence points to a famous mystery writer who has taken up residence in the small town: Marcus Gibson. After all, ex-con Sheila Caruso discovers that a scene in one of his books perfectly mirrors the brutal crime scene, and Gibson seems just eccentric enough to be murderous.

Police Chief Cade works to confirm the evidence--but more devastation is just around the corner. He and Blair Owens discover a second dead teenager, again paralleling a scene in one of Gibson's books. Then Sheila's daughter, Sadie, goes missing.

In a race against time, there are many questions to be answered. Can Cade find the killer before Sadie is murdered too? What connection does Sheila have with the crimes? And is Marcus one of the killers--or is the murderer still walking free, ready to prey on his next victim?