The biting December wind whips through the historic streets of Roanoke, Virginia, carrying with it not just the chill of winter, but a deeper, more sinister cold. In the heart of this ancient city, Sphinx private investigator Cary Wainwright finds himself embroiled in a case darker and more perplexing than any he's faced before. Children are disappearing without a trace, their joyful laughter replaced by an unsettling silence that hangs heavy in the air. Each vanishing leaves behind a tapestry of unanswered questions, a maddening jigsaw puzzle that threatens to unravel the very fabric of the community.

Cary, a man known for his sharp wit and even sharper instincts, is thrust into a race against time. As he descends deeper into the investigation, the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, leading him down a twisting path of enigmas and intricate mysteries. He unearths a hidden history of Roanoke, a dark underbelly where secrets fester and the unthinkable becomes terrifyingly real.

The pressure mounts as each day brings another vanished child, another surge of panic rippling through the city. Cary must unravel the truth before it consumes him and claims another victim. Can he decipher the meaning of the arcane symbols and cryptic clues that appear at every turn? Will he be able to harness his skills and intellect to combat forces he can barely understand? The fate of Roanoke's children, and perhaps even Cary's own sanity, hangs in the balance. The clock is ticking... will he solve the puzzle before time runs out, or will the chilling secrets of Roanoke claim its next victim, leaving Cary forever haunted by the shadows of December?