In her work for the Ventura County Probation Department, Carolyn Sullivan interviews the most dangerous, depraved criminals - and Raphael Moreno is at the top of the list. The hardened street thug has been convicted in a series of gruesome and baffling murders, including the decapitation of his own mother. For the first time, Carolyn is face-to-face with a criminal who truly frightens her. But things are about to get much hotter - and much deadlier for Carolyn. A phone call from her brother, Neil, propels her into a nightmare. A popular bachelor and successful artist, Neil has discovered the body of his fiancee, Laurel, floating in his swimming pool. When her death is ruled a homicide, Neil becomes the prime suspect. After his alibi falls apart, the sensitive brother Carolyn thought she knew suddenly seems like a complete stranger. And then the most shattering news surfaces: blood found in Neil"s expensive new car links him to Raphael Moreno and his unthinkable crimes. Could Carolyn"s own brother actually be a cold-hearted, ruthless killer?