Murders are on the rise in Philadelphia-but no one seems to mind because the victims are all fugitives with histories of heinous sex crimes against women and children. Worse for Homicide Sergeant Matt Payne, the main suspect is leaving evidence for police to find. But when copycat killings start popping up due to vigilante groups dealing out their own justice, Payne must find out who's behind the chaos before the violence overtakes the city.

Homicide sergeant Matthew Payne is used to murder, but lately there’s been an awful lot of it in Philadelphia. A gangland shooting in a popular tourist location leaves two dead and many others injured; a motel room blows up, killing two and severely injuring two more; and the body of a headless Latina turns up in the Schuylkill River. Everybody assumes the deaths are not related, but Payne can’t shake the hunch that there’s something...