Lured to a crime scene by a mysterious digital invitation, Ruth Lake is horrified to find a gruesome tableau surrounded by a crowd of gawkers. This "art installation" is designed by a diabolical criminal dubbed the Ferryman, who—exploiting England's true-crime craze—uses social media to titillate and terrorize the public. In this follow-up to Splinter in the Blood, Ruth is joined in the investigation by her partner Greg Carver, who Greg can't seem to shake the bewildering effects of the head wound that nearly ended him. Are the strange auras blurring his vision an annoying side effect of his injury, or a paranormal tool to help him see a person's true nature?