In a sleepy, historical Iowa town, tourist season is in full swing, and the strangest serial killer the world has ever known is roaming at will. It begins with a house explosion, a severely burned man, and an unidentified female body. More victims follow, each bearing an identical wound and accompanied by eerie, musical ticking. When the lead homicide investigator goes missing, Police Sergeant Erin Vanderjagt is forced into the fray...