The body of a woman with an unusual scar on her face is discovered in a remote forest. In this seventh outing for Louise Rick of the Missing Persons Department (after The Stolen Angel), she is contacted by a woman who recognizes the victim as Lisemette, whom she cared for in the state mental institution. But Louise discovers something even more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates more than 30 years ago. As Louise uncovers other crimes that were hidden in the forest, her investigation takes a startling turn that brings it closer to her childhood home, and forces her to confront a terrible link to her own past.