New York is being held to ransom. Manhattans electricity grid has been the victim of a horrific attack ...and more are planned. While the FBI and Homeland Security try to determine whos behind the carnage Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs race to decode the forensics in order to prevent the next assault. But all is not what it seems. Electricity can be as lethal as it is vital and Lincoln Rhyme soon finds hes up against a merciless killer with a unique weapon - one that can be found in everyones home and office. And in the meantime one of the few criminals to have ever slipped Rhymes net is under surveillance in Mexico. The deadly assassin known as the Watchmaker has set his murderous sights on innocent victims whose identity is as yet unknown ...Lincoln Rhyme must race against the clock juggling the two investigations as they hurtle headlong toward their deadly outcomes.