Synopsis

A couple trying to save their troubled marriage encounters danger from a serial killer in this thriller by the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master.

Jay and Shelby Macklin have chosen to get away for the holidays. A week full of Christmas goodwill and New Year's hope in a secluded California coastal home is just what the two of them need to help restore the love they once shared.

Their nearest neighbors are two other couples struggling with their own relationships—four unhappy people simmering with anger and resentment. Then, a winter storm appears on the horizon, bringing freezing winds and rain that trap Jay and Shelby in isolation, forcing them to resolve their marital issues or separate.

But arriving with the storm is the serial murderer known as the Coastline Killer, pursuing a violent agenda for what he believes is the greater good . . .

"Taut, spare and seamlessly plotted. The real accomplishment, however, is the villain of the piece, portrayed sympathetically but without sentimentality." Kirkus Reviews