Detective John Jessel works on paedophile cases in Surrey, England. He s good at his job, but on a downhill slide as booze claims his body and lonely life. His latest case is out of control. Postcards signed The Paw have taken credit for the murders of several children. But The Paw also knows too much about John and his family. There are threats, and he is forced to hide them while he follows every scarce clue. Dr. Shirley Heigh is a Karen intern returning from the US to work on the Burmese border. But her intentions are not wholly ethical. There is a great wrong she intends to right. The evil that haunts her is the same evil that haunts John s present. An evil that began in the Karen homeland of Kawthoolei and spread through Africa before homing in on the Jessel family. Heading in the same direction, hunting and being hunted by the same prey, it s only a matter of time before the paths of Dr. Shirley and John Jessel cross. Together they solve parts of the puzzle, but they are up against a foe who orchestrates their every move. To that foe, it s a game he can win whenever he pleases.