When the burnt, headless body of a young woman is found on the steps of a Baptist Church in Harlem, Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper is quickly on the shocking scene. With NYPD cop Mike Chapman, Alex investigates, but soon another woman is slaughtered and found on the steps of a Catholic Church in Little Italy: her throat slashed and her tongue cut out. The killings look like serial hate crimes, but the apparent differences in the victims' beliefs seem to eliminate a religious motive. Convinced that another young woman's life is at risk, Alex uncovers a terrible truth that takes her beyond the scope of her investigation and leads her directly into the path of terrible danger.