This is a captivating new novel from the international bestselling author of "The Thorn Birds". It is 1965, and in Holloman, Connecticut, someone is preying on the innocent. At a prestigious research centre for the neurosciences, fondly known by its staff as 'the Hug', parts of a mutilated body are discovered. Very soon Lieutenant Carmine Delmonico of the Holloman police learns that a string of horrifying disappearances, each fitting the same modus operandi as the body found at the Hug, has been occurring throughout the state. Then another body is found and the medical staff become prime suspects. With the Hug's hierarchies of power in turmoil and every member of its staff hiding something, Delmonico delves into the lives and pasts of each and every employee. It is the case of his career, and he is determined to solve it. But how do you find a monster who leaves no clues and is always two steps ahead?