South Carolina psychiatrist Tom Barton is retiring and selling his 40-year practice to Dr. Gabe Daniels. Barton's plans are interrupted when Gabe practically begs for his help in deciphering the horrific and cryptic writings in patient's diary.Barton reluctantly agrees and, in reading the diary, is thrust into the nightmare of a killer's fractured mind, and over the next four days Barton, along with his young partner, his goddaughter Sandra, and many others are targeted for murder during the worst killing spree in South Carolina history.