Called to Washington, DC to analyse the victims of a mysterious arson attack, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan quickly finds her misgivings justified.

The fire site is in Foggy Bottom, a neighbourhood with a colourful history, and as the pieces start falling into place, the property’s ownership becomes more and more suspicious. Sensing a good story, Tempe teams up with a new ally, telejournalist Ivy Doyle. Delving into the past, the duo learns that back in the Thirties and Forties the home was the hangout of a group of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang.

Though interesting, this fact seems irrelevant – until the son of one of the gang members is shot dead at his farm in Virginia. When another Foggy Bottom Gang-linked property burns to the ground, claiming one more victim, what might have been coincidence starts to look more like targeted attacks. As she and Ivy dig deeper, Tempe’s instincts point towards the obvious: somehow, her every move since coming to Washington has been anticipated in advance.

And every path forward brings with it a lethal threat.