Alex Cross is an African American detective in Washington, D.C. He is also a doctor of psychology. His wife, Maria, died three years ago and left him two young children, Damon and Janelle. They live with Alex's grandmother, Nana Mama, who raised Alex starting when he was 10 years old. Alex's police partner is his childhood friend John Sampson. At the beginning of the book, Alex and Sampson are called in on a grisly murder of two young women and one child, all African American. This case is quickly overshadowed by the kidnapping of two children of famous people by their teacher. The teacher is eventually caught, but one of the children dies and the other was kidnapped again by someone else. Convicting the teacher won't be as easy as Alex thinks because the teacher is a psychopath, super smart, and is exhibiting signs of multiple personality disorder. Alex is also distracted by a new complicated relationship with Jezzie, a white woman in the FBI. Will Alex be able to solve the case?