[3][4] The novel tells the story of Ned Dunstan, a computer programmer with an odd past that he finds himself constantly questioning.

Every year on his birthday, Ned is cursed with visions of horror committed by a savage figure he calls "Mr.

Now, as his 35th birthday approaches, Ned has been drawn back to his home town of Edgerton, Illinois, by a premonition that his mother is dying.

Ignoring the warnings, Ned explores his dark past and the astonishing legacy of his kin, driving the case to a sinister turn as it appears he may or may not have a devious doppelgänger responsible for gruesome murders.

Soon, Ned is accused of crimes he couldn't possibly have committed, while he enters a hidden world of ominous mysteries, where he must confront his deepest nightmares.