Homicide detective Taylor Jackson thinks she's seen it all in Nashville-- but she's never seen anything as perverse as The Conductor. Once his victim is captured, he contains her in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death. Only then does he give in to his attraction. Later, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings.

Dr. Samantha Owens's starting over: new city, new man, new life. She's trying to put some distance between herself and the devastating loss of her husband and children, but the old hurts leave scars. Before she has a chance to settle into her new position in Georgetown University's forensic pathology department, she's called to consult on three murders caused by an unknown pathogen in Metro Washington.