A gripping detective thriller by major bestselling Japanese author Tokuro Nukui that combines a relentless investigation with a profound exploration of faith, family, and obsession.

A series of harrowing abductions of young girls. An investigation that refuses to yield results. The relentless pressure falls on the coolly composed chief inspector, head of the First Criminal Investigation Division, who finds himself pushed to breaking point. Discord within the police force surrounds this fast-rising young career officer, and the relentless intrusion by the press into his private life. In the midst of this mounting tension, a new and terrible development begins to unfold.

The novel is woven through with a vivid portrayal of the inner workings of a fanatical religious cult, and the nature of family love in contemporary Japan. Boldly ambitious, it plumbs the anguished cry buried deep within the human soul.