A series of mysterious murders is terrorizing the city of Los Angeles. Every death scene has one clue in common - claw and tooth marks on the bloody remains of victims. Adrian Thompson suspects Richard Vasquez, professor of Archeology at UCLA, and her ex-lover. Her suspicions are fueled by the memory of their near death experiences in Guatemala. In the ancient Mayan city of Seibal, they had become involved with the mystical jaguar cult of local villagers still offering sacrifices to a bloodthirsty shape shifter god. In the face of overwhelming but circumstantial evidence, both she and the police find themselves trailing the wrong man. Almost too late, they discover a more sinister force is responsible for the murders, and Richard offers the only hope of ending the senseless killings. However, Richard must decide if he is willing to pay the terrible price exacted from anyone seeking the death of a god.

This action filled adventure-fantasy saga concerns a modern day "Brujo" (the Mexican name for a sorcerer) whose purpose and origin are often as mysterious as his unusual powers. The book begins with the introduction of a young idealistic Peace Corps teacher embarked on a journey to a remote Mexican mountain village hoping to educate willing young minds. He assumes that he will be able to teach without the interference and educational repression he encountered in the United States. He quickly discovers that he assumed too much.