Dead bodies are sadly not an uncommon sight at Queens Hospital in Birmingham. Except in this instance the body has been discovered in undergrowth on the hospital grounds, wrapped in a clinical waste bag and wearing little but a garish Disney tie.

The scar and stitches evident on the dead man's groin suggest he may have recently been a patient at the hospital. But when pathologist Karys Harper, herself an ex-student at Queen's Medical College, is brought in to examine the body she makes an even more bizarre discovery.

For the surgery wound was inflicted after death. Clearly she and the investigating police team led by Detective Inspector David Forrest are dealing with no ordinary killer, and one who is about to strike again and again. Who would want to kill his victims, only to perform this strange surgery upon their bodies? Could the killer be imitating the work of a genuine surgeon?

As the body count mounts, Karys finds herself haunted by memories from her past. Will her own peace of mind finally be resolved with the capture of the killer...?