Set in Napa County, California, it is about a man in his thirties who takes the law into his own hands when, out of the blue, he is threatened by an anonymous adversary.

Leading the life of a recluse who spends his spare time alone at home doing woodwork, he leaves his secluded house only when he goes to work as a bartender.

Wiles' life takes a dramatic turn when he finds a piece of paper stuck to his windshield which contains an ultimatum (see book cover, below).

When Wiles recovers from the shock and the pain he realizes that the psychopath has driven three large fish hooks under the skin of his forehead.

Right from the beginning of his nightmarish adventure, he has a hunch that circumstantial evidence, possibly planted by the killer, would turn him into the prime suspect: In the eyes of the police, he would be the perpetrator rather than one of the victims.

The story will focus on Ivy Elgin, a supporting character from Velocity that Koontz stated he has received much correspondence about from readers.