When a man dies from what appears to be a random snake bite in a quiet country village, the hospital seeks the expertise of wildlife vet Clara Benning. But the postmortem reveals this was no freak accident. Clara finds herself drawn into the hunt for a brutally inventive killer, putting herself in grave danger as she unravels links to a barbaric ancient ritual, an abandoned house and a 50-year-old, unspeakable tragedy. For someone the truth must remain buried in the past, even if they have to kill to keep it there.