"the true nature of evil is so very casual." james st james in her debut novel, kristine meier-skiff takes you on a journey that spans a continent and delves deep into the psyche of true evil. when kate arrives at cutler's gap, she is a shattered and haunted soul, looking to start a new life away from the horrors of her former life. can she free herself from the darkness of her past and trust again before the monsters find her and once again destroy the new life she is building? sheriff tom fletcher has a sixth sense for trouble, and the new woman of town has him tingling like never before. he's determined to uncover all of kate's secrets at any cost, but the more he digs, the less he knows. evil is coming. will he be able to protect the town he's vowed to serve and the woman he is coming to love?meanwhile, half a continent away, veteran cop mike choctowsky is playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a sadistic serial killer. his instincts, honed over a 20-year career, tell him they are dealing with an entirely different kind of killer than they've ever encountered. he wonders, will the next body to drop be his?