"Occasionally, I drop a teacup to shatter on the floor. On purpose. I'm not satisfied when it doesn't gather itself up again... Someday perhaps, a cup will come together." Well, the day has come when Hannibal's teacup come together on its own. The Chesapeake Ripper has met his soulmate. A wild, untamed "alpha" female named Vanessa who hides a troubling past with a closet of skeletons and secrets. But Hannibal has always enjoyed a challenge.