Lincoln Rhyme is back, on the trail of a killer whose weapon of choice cripples New York City with fear.
A series of horrific explosions has rocked New York City, and a new breed of terror-monger is at large: someone is harnessing high-voltage arc flashes with the searing power to melt steel and incinerate dozens. With little forensic evidence, Lincoln Rhyme must rely on his street team, including his lover, NYPD's Amelia Sachs, to avert the next attack by an enemy with an invisible and endlessly available means of destruction. And while Rhyme also consults on the hunt in Mexico for the elusive killer known as the Watchmaker, he is presented with a unique surgical opportunity that could change his life forever. But in medicine, as in criminology, there are no guarantees, and not all risks pay off.