A previously untold chapter in the life of Grendel, the greatest criminal mastermind in history, is revealed. To the world, he is best selling novelist Hunter Rose. To the criminal underworld of New York, he is Grendel, assassin, criminal mastermind, unforgiving and utterly ruthless.
When mob boss Roscoe Spalding fails to provide Grendel with an agreed 'payment', Grendel methodically butchers Spalding and 19 of his henchmen without suffering as much as a scratch! Detective Liz Sparks and her special forensics team, the Mayor's secret "Task Force Grendel", cannot find a trace of evidence at the grisly scene. Lucas Ottoman, an investigative reporter and Liz's lover, also finds very few leads.
Grendel observes other mob players maneuver to fill the void left by Spalding. He intends to fill the spot with a puppet of his own choosing in order to manipulate and further consolidate his power. But, as he watches two likely candidates, he feels an overwhelming sense of being watched...