In a small Maine valley, thirteen-year-old Pierce Morin, born blind and deaf, possesses a terrifying gift: He can hear evil whispering. And now he knows an elusive, deadly force is stalking the people he loves. Meanwhile, Detective Jake Crowley, who d long ago run away from the valley, has returned. A bizarre shootout in Galveston, Texas, finally draws him back to Maineto a woman he can barely face, to the unsolved mystery of his mother s murder, and to a township that s fallen under the spell of a serial killer. For Jake, redemption lies in unlocking the mystery of Pierce s gifts, and hoping the boy can show him a way to stop the terrors that plague him. But while young Pierce can begin the search, only Jake can finish itby looking evil in the eye, and claiming a terrifying birth right."