The autumnal tranquility of Smithtown, Ohio is shattered when Dr. David Bradley arrives home to find that his wife has been raped and murdered by an intruder who has left no clues behind except the words "May Day" painted in lipstick on his victim's body. When the police later learn that another Smithtown resident has been raped and strangled in her New York City apartment, it becomes frighteningly clear that a cunning serial killer targeting Smithtown women is on the prowl.Newspaper reporter Sam Middleton is determined to help Detective Roger Hagstrom track down the assailant of his ex-wife's best friend. Sam can only hope that his estranged wife and teenage daughter are out of harm's way living hours away in the Columbus suburb of Woodcrest. One terrifying question continues to gnaw at Sam as the mystery unfolds: Who will the killer's next victim be?