The body is discovered in a disused burial ground. A young woman, ritualistically mutilated, her eyes and mouth crudely sewn shut. Her boyfriend is arrested and charged with the murder.

He might have a vicious temper and a history of violence towards women, but is Michael Nell really a killer? Michael's lawyer doens't think so. She's hired Joe Donovan to prove his alibi.

Donovan's investigations lead him into the murly world of people trafficking and illegal prostitution. But when the second body shows up, he realises it's not just local gangsters he's up against - but a deranged serial killer. A killer obsessed with the city's dark history. A killer who leaves clues pointing to his twisted plan. And if Donovan and his team can't decipher those messages in time, a killer who will kill again...