A psychopathic killer is on the loose. Every time the moon is full, he kills entire families in the most gruesome way. The police have no leads. They fear they cannot stop him and that another family will witness the face of the Red Dragon, as he calls himself, on the next full moon. The Face of Death...
That's why, even though he has retired from active duty, Will Graham, a special investigator for the FBI with a special talent for hunting down deranged criminals, is called back. The last one he caught, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, almost killed him. Have you heard of Dr. Lecter? Even in prison, he is dangerous. Graham knows this. But he has decided to seek his help. And perhaps this is the most terrible mistake he has ever made in his life...

In this gripping novel that preceded "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal," Thomas Harris vividly portrays the nature of human evil, as well as the agonizing process of a criminal investigation, creating a terrifying vision of the dark side of our world.