An orphan and a bastard, Jamie Sommers grew up knowing he had no hope of heaven. Conceived in adultery and born in sin, Jamie was destined to repeat the sins of his parents - or so the nuns told him . . . And he proved them right.

Taking to sea, Jamie sought out danger and adventure in exotic ports all over the world as a smuggler, gunrunner - and murderer. Tough enough to handle anything, he's survived foreign prisons, pirates, and a shark attack. But in the quiet seaside town of Hawkes Harbor in Delaware, Jamie discovers something that is enough to drive him insane - and change his life forever. For it is in Hawkes Harbor that Jamie comes face to face with the ultimate evil . . .