Looking over a crime scene in her neighborhood, Samantha Owen discovers that the scene has been staged: what seems to be a clear case of murder/suicide is anything but. The discovery of toxic substances in hidden vials leads to a threat of bioterrorism-- and her boyfriend, Xander Whitfield, may be in the line of fire.

A serial killer is targeting young Vanderbilt University coeds, one of whom is the daughter of a major university benefactor and Texas oilman. Lt. Taylor Jackson, Nashville cop, and Dr. Samantha Owens, medical examiner, face a huge public relations nightmare. Taylor, struggling with departmental strife, is asked to partner with troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, who is back in Tennessee after a disastrous investigation accident. Owens is perplexed...