A disgraced author disappears and a string of murders have only one link, which a tenacious rookie detective discovers on her own as she pursues the murderer.

All his life, Alfonzo Wright knew he was going to be a writer like his prolific, successful novelist parents. However, creativity may not be hereditary - Alfonzo is a horrible writer. He barely earns his degree from Duke University and only does so because his father, the legendary Jeffrey Wright, is an alumnus. Upon graduation, Alfonzo takes his best manuscript to hundreds of publishers, only to get rejected time and time again.

Determined to avoid any more nepotism and make it on his own, Alfonzo refuses to submit his manuscript to his father’s well-respected publishing house. He decides to go it alone and self-publish, but it becomes a disaster. Alfonzo is in the spotlight because of his lineage, but his manuscript is utter trash - according to critics - and his father ultimately denounces him.

Alfonzo disappears for two years - no body, no note, no trace...and no one bothering to ask any questions. However, a string of murders in North Carolina claims more and more victims who appear to have no connection. The only link is that each victim is missing an index finger and both of their eyes. Rookie detective Amber Blackwell has been working on cold cases going back 40 years when she’s given this assignment, and the tenacious detective is determined to solve it. She discovers that each of the victims has only one link connecting them all - they’ve given three stars or less to a certain disgraced author’s novel...