Just when Alex Cross's life is calming down, he's drawn back into the game to confront the Audience Killer - a terrifying genius who stages his killings as public spectacles in Washington, DC and broadcasts them live on the net.

In Colorado, another criminal mastermind is planning a triumphant return. From his maximum-security prison cell, Kyle Craig has spent years plotting his escape and revenge. Craig prefers to work alone, but if joining forces with DC's Audience Killer helps him to get the man who put him away - Alex Cross - then so be it ...