A slashed female corpse.a footprint, a tire track.a trail of blood in a crowded shopping mall. Even the most jaded cops are horrified by the carnage. But to seasoned FBI profiler Ulysses Grove, the evidence spells out a much more personal message-a threat that speaks to Grove alone. Meticulous Killer. He chooses his victims with care. He plans their murders with painstaking precision; he studies the most notorious slayers.

He's gone to extremes to achieve his goals-committed to fulfilling his destiny as history's greatest serial killer. With precious lives at stake, and his very soul on the line, Grove throws himself into the chase-and into a trap from which there's no escape.