What's more dangerous than a killer? For Detective Alex Cross, it's a killer who thinks he's the good guy... Shots ring out in suburban Washington D.C. in the early hours. When the smoke clears, a senior police official lies dead, leaving his force scrambling for answers. Under pressure from the mayor, Alex Cross steps up and takes command of the investigation - just as a brutal crime wave sweeps the region. There's just one thing in common in these deadly scenes: the victims are criminals. As Cross pursues a murderer who's appointed himself judge, jury and executioner, he must take the law back into his own hands - because although this killer has a conscience, the city Cross has sworn to protect is rapidly descending into chaos...