Two years ago, after narrowly escaping the clutches of a psychotic serial killer, San Diego homicide detective Sami Rizzo hung up her badge. And despite the feeling of regret that has haunted her since she resigned, Sami convinced herself that she is happier off the beat. But when a body, dressed to the nines, turns up in San Diego’s Mission Bay Park displaying a split sternum with surgical precision, Sami’s interest is piqued. Soon other bodies are surfacing, all apparently the victims of horrific surgical experiments. All the signs point to another serial killer — and Sami wants on the case. With a little fast-talking, she convinces the police chief and the mayor to reinstate her to the force. But as the body count grows and every lead points to a dead end, Sami fears that this time the killer may escape her. But he makes a crucial mistake: One of his victims survives the ordeal. The woman is comatose and barely breathing, but she’s alive. Sami is prepared to risk everything to protect her. But the killer is determined to clean up his mess, even if it means killing a cop in the process.