In the town of Galesburg, Illinois, a storm is coming. Not a storm of rain and lightning but a storm of evil.

It is two weeks until Halloween, and the city is celebrating its undefeated high school football team, led by its unnaturally amazing superstar quarterback, Clayton Stoneking. Football frenzy has overtaken everyone. However, the joy of celebration has also blinded the town from the darkness that has crept in unseen.

Meanwhile, a pastor by the name of Jack McKenzie, who was loved by the community, is found murdered, with no clue as to who did it or why. James "Convert" Madsen, a man whose life was changed by Jack; Aaron Clark, a youth pastor who had been mentored by Jack; and Emma Ironside, a local newspaper reporter who attends Jack's church, come together in order to find and bring to justice Jack's murderer. Those three, as well as four of Aaron's students, delve into the mystery of what happened and begin to realize that things run deeper than they could have possibly imagined as they discover the Scarlet.

This is a story of thrills, mystery, faith, belief, and heart. It shows the depths that evil will take to destroy and the ability of goodness to overcome all that confronts it. Even though the darkness can be great, there is always a greater light that shines through.