Once again, a murderer is menacing those whom Eve Duncan holds dear in this fifth thriller to feature the forensic sculptor. An insane serial killer is preying on young women all over the world, flaying the faces of his victims away from their skulls. When Eve Duncan is called upon to reconstruct the face of the latest dead woman, she learns that all of the women bear a strong resemblance to Cira, a figure depicted on a wall in the ancient Roman city of Hercalaneum...and to Eves adopted daughter Jane, who could be the killers next target.