Florida's scenic Sereno Key has been shaken to the core by a ritualistic serial killer who is targeting black men, leaving his victims faceless and marked with spray paint. Finished as a cop in Michigan, Louis Kincaid is persuaded to take the case as a PI and he joins forces with rookie FBI profiler, Emily Farantino.

But without a badge Louis is trying to work in limbo, not knowing where his limits end, and the suspect's rights begin. Hindered by a false confession, an incompetent county sheriff, and the killer's changing pattern, Louis is still struggling to deal with his demons from his previous case.

Before long it becomes clear that these gruesome murders are no ordinary hate crimes, and Louis finds himself the next victim of a predator more twisted than he ever imagined …