Two men, Alan McKeirman and Donald Shane, were convicted of a similar abduction and killed a missing teenager.  The younger of the two, Donald Shane, is granted early release from prison. A young girl, Emma Harrison, is missing and Shane is suspected of her abduction. The police persuade Elder to aid them in their search because of his knowledge of Shane's previous methods. When Elder's daughter goes missing, and Elder receives cryptic messages and postcards taunting him, it becomes crucial that they find Shane or an accomplice. Elder continues in his search for the missing Susan Blacklock with surprising results.

This is a very suspenseful chronicle of a man's continued search to end an unsolved mystery. The reader is taken inside the minds and hearts of criminals and the environment that produces them. The troubled relationships between Elder, his estranged wife and their daughter, Katherine are explored in depth. There is an excellent portrayal of the police procedures.