It’s August 1974. The oil-producing states of the Middle East refuse to sell to the United States, sparking a worldwide economic crisis. The residents of Burr, Oklahoma could care less. They sit atop an ocean of oil. Drilling increases ten-fold, resulting in an unprecedented boom for the tiny community. Of course, the newfound prosperity comes with a price. Burr begins to experience problems associated with big cities: illegal drugs, sexual assault, and a skyrocketing murder rate.
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When a disabled young man is found shot to death in the back row of a drive-in movie theater, Burr’s police chief, Emmett Hardy, considers it an isolated act of depravity. As the dominos fall, however, Emmett realizes he might be searching for a type of killer who, in 1974, had yet to be named—someone who kills repeatedly, savagely, and seemingly at random. Hardy searches for the culprit even as old habits cloud his mind and clues go unnoticed. The trail circles back and becomes a noose. It’s up to Emmett to cut himself down before it’s too late.