At a prestigious music academy in New York City, a fleeing killer locks himself in a classroom and is surroundede by police. A scream rings out, followed by a gunshot, and cops break down the door--to an empty room. Forensic expert Lincon Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are called in to word the high-profile investigation. For the ambitious Sachs, solving the case could earn her a promotion. For the quadriplegic Rhyme, it means relying on his protégée to track a homicidal ilusionist who baits them with grisly murders that grow more diabolical with each victim. Now, Rhyme and Sachs must go behind the smoke and mirror to prevent a horrific act of vengeance thato could become the greatest vanishing act of all...