Tessa North is a serial killer.

Secrets and lies are part of her life. She hides them well while leading a peaceful and pleasant life in the pretty Northern California town of Blackport.

Until one day Tessa's life changed with the ringing of the doorbell when she received an unusual and anonymous package. Even more mysterious was the enclosure card with one printed word: Basement.

Excited at the prospect of a fun mystery, presumably from her quirky best friend Theo Bloom, Tessa takes her new gifts to the basement.

Suddenly the fun ends as a real mystery begins. When Tessa's phone rings, the situation becomes even more mysterious by an unusual conversation with a strange man named Joe who turns her life upside down.

Soon, Tessa begins to discover clues that take her to the nearby lakeside town of Foxwood Bay—the location of the infamous Merrick Massacre and the old Merrick Insane Asylum.

Tessa North is about to discover that there are more secrets and lies in her life than she knew about.