Nikki O’Keefe, a field agent for the Kansas State Police, discovers a hidden grave site with the skeletons of six newborn infants. A day later, hunters in a nearby field find the remains of a teenage girl. Investigating these crimes puts Nikki into the path of The Reverend Jack Jackson, an evangelist and body-builder who promotes a gospel of perfect body and perfect soul.
The book is as much about Nikki’s frustrations as about the solving of the crimes. She’s tangled in romantic conflicts with two men, haunted by guilt about the damage her ambition has done to people she’s loved, and thwarted in her career by the sexist policies of her supervisors.
Revered Jack’s delusions bring another force into the book. His belief that he is one of God’s anointed clashes with his need for money and illicit sex. When he is forced to confront the disasters caused by his preaching and his transgressions, his disillusionment becomes deadly.
