The tombstone reads "Richard Carter." It has a fine Latin inscription and a death date. Unlike his wife Jill, he finds it easy to dismiss as a prank. He's more concerned with the "Jane Doe" who turns up asphyxiated and shockingly posed. It is the unmistakable signature of a sexual predator, a monster deep into his fantasy, a man probably already seeking his next victim.
An FBI friend tells Richard that the Bureau is tracking a coast-to-coast serial killer with an identical MO and signature, a killer who leaves immaculate crime scenes that tell investigators only what the killer wants them to know: how clever he is.
Is the local killer the FBI's "Journey Man," or only a copycat? Does it matter? How can Richard find the invisible? He needs a pattern, a clue, but all he has is a woman who might have been a victim.
While he struggles to find connections, Richard is unaware of something going on at home, something begun with the arrival of his tombstone. His wife Jill's past, combined with what is happening, breathes new life into the smoldering coals of her emotional distress. When the killer strikes closer to home, she hurtles toward an abyss. Jill is nothing if not strong, but is she strong enough to bear this alone? Or will she become "collateral damage" of the Journey Man's rampage through Hawthorn County?
