A Florida detective pursues a killer within the Church of Scientology in this crime novel by the Edgar Award-winning author of The Dead Detective.

A series of murders in Florida have left the police force baffled and Detective Harry Doyle's adoptive father seriously wounded. As his investigation becomes personal, Doyle—known to his peers as the Dead Detective—finds he must penetrate one of the most private institutions in the country in order to track down those responsible.

Clearwater, Florida, is the spiritual center of Scientology, a religion that encourages its members to remain pure and true to their beliefs. One senior leader has a misguided young man in his employ, a twisted soul who will stop at nothing to make sure the rules are followed. With veils of secrecy surrounding the church's inner sanctum, the detectives are stonewalled at every turn. But when the investigation leads Doyle and his partners to the far reaches of Alaska, they come face-to-face with death in a form they never expected.