Four years ago, Jack Temple was a homicide detective. He asked one too many questions and found himself out of a job. Now he is a reporter for the Garden City Times, writing about cops and still asking too many questions.

When the mutilated body of Temple's former girlfriend - the Mayor's daughter - is found frozen in a local park, Temple dusts off his detective skills to uncover the truth behind the grisly murder. As he digs for clues, Temple finds himself drawn into the most difficult and dangerous investigation of his career.

As an FBI serial killer investigation team takes an interest in the case, Temple taps old friends and bitter enemies to pierce the mystery - why does the FBI believe so many cases are connected? In what becomes an international manhunt he questions whether murder suspects arrested are guilty or just a cover for the truth.

In the Dead Times, Temple must use his wits and his fists to save himself and get the story of a lifetime.