A plane crashes high in the mountains of North Carolina. But a severed foot is discovered a good distance from the crash site... Forensic anthropologist Dr Temperence Brennan is first on the scene. The task that confronts her is a sad and sickening one, and her investigation seems to be throwing up more questions than answers. But when Tempe makes a discovery that raises dangerous questions, her professional standing is threatened. Convinced that another corpse lies in the woods, Tempe pits herself against a conspiracy of silence, and uncovers a shocking tale of deceit and depravity...