Unanswered questions abound. Dozens of identical shoes washed up on the beach of Sanibel Island, Florida, a quiet resort town. They appear to be completely normal, except for one thing: each one contains a crudely severed human foot. Faced with an incomprehensible puzzle and increasingly perplexing pathology reports, the local police turn to FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast for assistance. But with no answers and endless possibilities they are left with only questions: What has happened, and why? What happened to the feet? And, more importantly, are the victims still alive? Pendergast will soon be immersed in one of his career's most complex and inexplicable challenges. 'Get ready for the ride of your life,' Preston and Child are praised. DAVID