Every New York City neighbourhood has a story, but what John Pellam uncovers in Hell's Kitchen has a darkness all its own. The Hollywood location scout is hoping to capture the unvarnished memories of longtime Kitchen residents in a no-budget documentary film.

But when a suspicious fire ravages an elderly woman's crumbling tenement, Pellam realises that someone might want the past to stay buried. As more buildings and lives go up in flames, Pellam takes to the streets, seeking the twisted pyromaniac who sells services to the highest bidder. But Pellam is unaware that the fires are merely flickering preludes to the arsonist's ultimate masterpiece - a conflagration of nearly unimaginable proportions. . .

"Deaver is a master of ticking-bomb suspense" - People magazine

"The best psychological thriller writer around" - The Times