Eve Duncan deals in death every day. It's her job, but now that job is about to put her life on the line - and the lives of everyone close to her. A high-ranking government official wants Eve to drop everything and come to Baton Rouge to identify the remains of an unknown murder victim. Eve wants nothing to do with the project, having finally found peace from her own tragic past. She is enjoying a quiet life in a small lakeside cottage with Atlanta detective Joe Quinn and her adopted daughter, Jane. But as a stunning series of seemingly unrelated events begins to upset all that, Eve flees to Baton Rouge to take on the job. Forced to work in secrecy and given only the sketchiest information, Eve can't help but wonder if all the high-level security is meant to protect or imprison her. When the next death occurs before she has even begun work on the reconstruction, it becomes clear that someone totally ruthless, who can strike anywhere at any time, and with seeming immunity, is determined to put a halt to her work.