The murderer is known as Van Gogh. Leaving a bloody trail of bodies up and down the east coast, every one of the serial killer's targets receives his gruesome signature: the removal of the victim's right ear. After ten such bodies, the FBI tracks him down and takes him out, putting an end to an horrific mystery. For Boston attorney Jimmy Morrissey, however, Van Gogh's death is only the beginning.Jimmy Morrissey has problems of his own. His wife has cancer, his practice is floundering, and his receptionist is trying to use him as his own personal bodyguard. Things only get worse when two FBI agents let him in on a chilling piece of evidence found in Van Gogh's apartment: abeautiful woman's headshot, with Morrisey's name and address on the back.It isn't tool long before Morrissey realizes that he's been sent a message from beyond thegrave. The tightly wrapped Van Gogh case begins to unravel with every new detail Jimmy uncovers, which could mean that a murderer is still at large. But finding out the truth means taking on a client that technically doesn't exist, living Jimmy Morrissey as Defense for the Dead.