When Philip Muts moves to Philadelphia for a less-than-exciting job as a clinical psychologist, his first challenge is a case needing quick resolution. Philip's patient is a delusional soldier named Paul Handy who claims he's reincarnated from a Revolutionary War assassin. He's called Hollywood Handy for the fantastic tales he tells, and Paul's commanding officer thinks he's faking his mental illness. With the help of Mary Scots, US Army nurse, Philip begins a frustrating journey to uncover the disturbing truth that's painfully locked up inside his patient. Philip discovers the complex parallel life that Paul lives through reflective trances with his two-hundred-year-old doppelganger.
The Army wants a clean bill of mental health so it can proceed with a court martial, but Philip resists as he digs deeper into the mysterious suffering of Paul Handy. Philip's creative psychological detective work leads to a startling resolution in this fast-paced, suspense-filled novel.