This killer is ruthless, cold-blooded, and invisible. A merciless Chinese human trafficker known only by the alias "the Ghost" attempts to board the Fuzhou Dragon to enter the USA. The FBI plans to arrest him as soon as he arrives at the New York harbor. But just off the coast, the Ghost detonates a massive explosive and disappears without a trace. As the ship sinks, it drags nearly the entire crew down with it. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs feverishly work to track down the cold-blooded killer before he can eliminate the last witnesses to his gruesome crime.