In this Edgar Allen Poe Award–winning novel, Irene Kelly is on the hunt for the body of a murder victim…with the killer as her guide: “a journey into the heart of darkness” (Los Angeles Times).

Only one person knows where Julia Sayre is: her killer. Four years ago, the young mother of two disappeared, a story that soon became a personal mission for reporter Irene Kelly. But despite Irene’s best efforts, the search for Julia proved fruitless.

Now on death row for unimaginable acts of torture and murder, inmate Nick Parrish makes a plea-bargain for a life sentence in exchange for leading investigators—and Irene—into the dark isolation of the Sierra Nevada mountains, where they will discover what really happened to Julia Sayre. But Parrish has other plans in mind.

From the start of the expedition, Parrish makes Irene the object of his unnerving attention. His knowing smile and relentless stares make her wonder if heavy chains, armed guards, and a protective search dog will be enough to keep him at bay. But Nick Parrish’s deadly plan to regain his freedom is already in motion, and Irene will need all her courage and ingenuity to remain the reporter—not the victim—in tomorrow’s headlines.