While witnessing a heinous crime at a recreational park, twelve-year-old Joshua Benton is spotted by the perpetrator, and is later pursued and captured by the man, who takes him to a secluded house in the low hills outside of town. There, he is held prisoner by the man-reclusive novelist Joseph Cain-who plans to eventually kill him, as suggested by his latest manuscript.
Joshua's captor is not only a popular best-selling author, but he also composes real-life stories of a different, darker variety, about which the public is unaware. But Joshua knows, and he knows where the material for these cryptic books comes from-he knows from bitter personal experience.
Searching for him is County Sheriff Eric Turner, who investigates the crime at the park, and is able to ascertain that the youth's disappearance is linked to the murder. With little evidence to go on, he struggles to solve the murder, while dealing with his failure at solving a similar crime committed two years earlier. Eric knows that if he can find the murdering, he will find the boy. But will he fail again? Can he find the killer in time to rescue Joshua? And if he does, will he find him alive?
Little does the sheriff-or anyone-know that survival has been up to the youngster the entire time; that his chance of rescue depends solely upon his inventiveness and his ingenuity. Not only must Joshua cope with his impending mortality at the hands of the demented writer, he must do so while enduring psychological and physical tortures that test his courage, his endurance-and his ability to believe in hope.