"Alex Cross left his hometown, and some awful family tragedies, for a better life with Nana Mama in Washington, DC. He hasn't looked back. Now his cousin Stefan has been accused of a horrible, unthinkable murder, and Cross drives south with Bree, Nana Mama, Jannie, and Ali to Starksville, North Carolina, for the first time in thirty-five years. Back home, he discovers a once proud community down on its luck, and local residents who don't welcome him...

"I've solved two crimes now. And I'm just getting started. I've spent my whole life learning from my detective dad, Alex Cross. it can be a dangerous job. Now that I've cracked a few cases of my own, I'm ready to go bigger. If the mysteries won't come to me, I'm going to to find them"--Back cover

When a prominent Washington D.C. police official is murdered, Alex Cross steps in to investigate but his efforts are impeded by a series of deadly attacks by a vigilante killer who is targeting suspected criminals. Shots ring out in the early morning hours in the suburbs of Washington, DC. When the smoke clears, a prominent police official lies dead, leaving the city's police force scrambling for answers. Under pressure from the mayor, Alex Cross...