He likes to watch-silent, unseen, nameless-but always there, always watching. Just watching used to satisfy him. It doesn't anymore.

Tampa, Florida, once heralded as the cigar-making capital of the world, has become known for its beautiful Gulf beaches, the Mediterranean red-roof-tiled homes punctuating the blue-green waters of the Bay, and its carefree, fun-in-the-sun lifestyle. But underneath this intoxicating facade lurks a depraved underbelly, where moral destitution dwells, glutting itself on fear and pain. Out of that darkness, a sadistic monster emerges, brutally attacking young women in their homes, leaving devastation and paranoia, but very little evidence, in his wake.

After the harrowing events of the previous year, Hallie Miller has begun to reclaim for herself some sense of normalcy. And she can say that she feels happy for the first time in a long time. But she feels something else, too. Something new. She can't shake the feeling that someone is watching her. When a memory of her father triggers her need to solve the mystery of his thirty-year-old murder, Hallie finds herself delving into the city's darker history and asking questions. Maybe too many questions.