She wakes in a dark, closed space. From above her comes the muffled sound of cruel laughter, followed by the sound of earth being thrown. Pure terror takes over as she realizes she's being buried alive, and her last breath is a scream that no one but a sadistic killer will hear.

To Nikki Gillette, this disturbing story is a ticket out of small-town Savannah and on to the big time. She's already given the killer a name - The Grave Robber - and she's spending every minute dogging tough cop Pierce Reed's investigation.

Another body is found. And another. Each gruesome discovery unnerves Nikki a little more . . . there's something familiar about it, something she should know. Now, as a serial killer pulls her ever deeper into his sick game, she has no idea how close she's getting to the truth - or how deadly it will be.