Frank Black and Peter Watts investigate a series of murders mimicking urban legends. The case soon leads them to a psychiatric hospital for violent criminals, where all is not as it seems.
Tropes
- Heroic Bystander: A gas station clerk noticed someone with a knife inside Dr. Stoller's car. So he got her out by telling her her card is expired. He later got killed by that killer after Frank got Stoller to safety.
- He Who Fights Monsters: Edward.
- Hook Hand: Ex-killer E. Jacob Woodcock got one, after his last victim chopped off his left hand (and right leg).
- Psycho Psychologist: Edward.
- Red Herring: It seems one of the patients, Purdue, is the suspect. He threateningly comes to Dr. Stoller... to whisper to her that it was Edward.
- Villainous Rescue: Purdue killed Edward."Killing Edward was the sanest thing I ever did."
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Edward. He believes patients can be cured by having the evil drained from their bodies. He somehow absorbed the killers' violent impulses into himself, but was unable to refrain from acting upon them.
