Somebody is murdering Hollywood's A-list. FBI agent Alex Cross is on vacation in Disneyland when he gets the call. A well-known actress has been shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Shortly afterwards, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail recounting the murder in shocking detail, signed Mary Smith. More killings follow, with emails immediately after. Mary Smith is targeting Hollywood stars and powerbrokers, and she is getting better every time. Right from the beginning, this case is like nothing Alex has ever confronted. People make enemies easily in Hollywood. Is this the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more terrifying? Members of the A-list fear they're Mary's next target, and the case grows into blockbuster proportions as Cross and the LAPD scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update.