Sixteen-year-old Geneva Settle is running from death. She's just a bright high school kid researching a paper on one of her ancestors, but someone out there sees her as a threat. Someone who will stop at nothing to prevent her digging up the past. Someone on a mission to kill. Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs are called to the case. They've tracked down some of the world's most brilliant criminals, but this particular hunt is posing more questions than answers. Where will their prey strike next? What is the historic secret he's so desperate to protect? And how can anyone catch a killer who leaves no trace?