Gavin Mahoney and Deb Bradley, having committed to their burgeoning relationship move to a new city and state to start a new life together. Gavin, having been headhunted to teach Criminology at the University of Mary Washington in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, attempts to step away from law enforcement to make his beloved happy, while she insists that she only needs his happiness to achieve that goal.

But unbeknownst to them, out of the past steps a nightmare with an ax to grind, drawing Gavin back to law enforcement when a neighbor's 10-year-old son is discovered murdered in their apartment building's dumpster. Accepting a position with the Fredericksburg Police Department, Gavin embarks on an investigation into a diabolical serial killer known as the Songster...who seems to know a little too much about Gavin Mahoney.