A male corpse, dressed in fishnet stockings, stiletto heels, a blonde wig and wearing make-up, is trussed up and tied to a tree. At the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Facility, more familiarly known as the Body Farm, Dr Bill Brockton is replicating a recent murder scene.

Returning to his experiment some days later, Brockton walks into a living nightmare. The corpse in drag has gone, and tied to the tree in its place is the body of one of his closest friends. Not only that, someone is going to great lengths to implicate him in their death.

Suspected of murder and shunned by his former colleagues, Brockton must prove his innocence - if he can stay alive long enough.