Kate Fansler's husband, Reed, is kidnapped - and will be killed unless Kate obeys the carefully delineated directives of a ransom note. Tormented by her own puzzled heart, Kate seeks solace and wise counsel from both old friends and new. But who precisely is the enemy? Is he or she a vengeful colleague? A hostile student? A terrorist sect? The questions mount as Kate searches for Reed - accompanied by her trusty new companion, a Saint Bernard puppy named Bancroft. Hovering near Kate and Bancroft, almost within touch, are rampant cruelties and calculated menace. The madness of our time is on the move. And the moment is ripe for murder. ...