Deck the halls with boughs of murder. He was never supposed to exist. Now he wants everyone to remember. When the coastal town of Barrow-in-Furness is rocked by a wave of unexplained deaths, DCI Nash must decipher the truth of this world-ending case. How is a tiny island off the coast of America linked to the dead? The victims come from different backgrounds, but they must be connected. How? As the body count rises, nationwide panic increases. News of a deadly virus grips the public, but this isn’t an outbreak—it’s a culling. One man walks among them, with a brilliant mind and a vengeful plan. Dr Travis Bernstein has one mission, and he’s just getting started. Meanwhile, Nash’s home is breached. Everything he loves is under attack. His Christmas wedding is looming, and he must protect his fiancé. With government agencies circling and the media closing in, time is running out. Conflict between detectives Brown and Norton is the least of Nash’s worries as the team races to uncover the twisted science behind the murders before the contagion spreads. But some experiments don’t stay buried. And the past is about to bring its victims home.