After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht--including two Senate rivals--Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends, and a life-threatening secret. Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: 'Make a sound and I'll kill you.' As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel, and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways.