Cruelty has a human heart . . .

Keeping her personal and professional lives separate isn't always easy for Taylor Jackson -- she's a homicide detective and her lover, John Baldwin, is an FBI profiler.

But when a local girl falls prey to the sadistic serial killer John has been tracking through several states, their worlds collide in a shocking investigation that grips Nashville throughout a sultry summer. A string of beautiful brunettes have been throttled, each left with a gruesome memento: the previous victim's severed hand.

Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville: she's got a scoop that could break the case. But she has no idea how close to this story she really is -- or what it will cost her.

As Taylor comes in on the killer, she learns a hard truth -- the purest of evil is born of private lies.