The question isn’t why he’s killing them, but why he’s keeping her alive.

Seventeen-year-old Daphne Pencast saw the gruesome beginning: her teacher’s body, broken and bloodied beneath the cemetery trees. Now the attacks are growing more violent, and every victim seems to have one thing in common: her.

With rumors of a serial killer sweeping the town, Daphne’s father—the mayor—locks down the streets and surrounds her with guards. Isolated and restless, she turns to Gabriel, an old crush now acting as her bodyguard. But as the killer draws closer, Gabriel starts to feel more like a warden than a protector.

And then there’s the Poppy Killer.

Untraceable. Unstoppable. Always one step ahead. He kills without mercy—except when it comes to her.

Determined to uncover the truth, Daphne digs into Gilia Dune’s dark past. But the more she uncovers, the more twisted the truth becomes. Because this killer might not be entirely human… and he might not be the real monster after all.

As the killer’s obsession tightens around her, Daphne must decide who to trust:

The boy who swore to keep her safe—

Or the killer who refuses to let her go.