Ex-New York cop Lew Croaker dedicated fifteen years to helping rid society of vermin and psychopaths. His commitment cost him his left hand, which eventually led to a feeling of burnout that found him leaving the force for Florida, a fishing boat, and the family he desperately needs. Croaker hasn't spoken to his sister Matty in years, and he's never even met Rachel, his troubled teenage niece. Suddenly, nothing is as important to him as reconciling this loss. Now, Croaker is determined to become the brother - and uncle - he's neglected to be for longer than he cares to remember. But Rachel is hours away from death in a Miami hospital, and a compatible kidney donor has yet to turn up for his only niece. The slick attorney who sniffs Croaker out has an offer he's hard-pressed to refuse. All Croaker has to do is accept Marcellus Majeur's package: one kidney in exchange for Croaker's services. To kill one man. Through Miami's chic South Beach, the funky nightspots of the Florida Keys, and the shadowy Everglades, Croaker accelerates his quest to save Rachel. He has but hours to either commit a cold-blooded, irrevocable act of murder or find out who engineered the scheme. But while Croaker plays the hunter, an inescapable malevolence stalks him - from the sea, the jungles - and from the depths of an unthinkably twisted mind.