Plot summary

Will Graham (William Petersen), an ex-F.B.I. profiler, quit the job because of the toil his last case, that of serial killer, psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox), took on him. Despite his work directly leading to Lecktor being captured and incarcerated, working on the case not only almost took Will's life, but also his sanity, as he needed to get into psychopathic Lecktor's mind. Will is coerced by his old boss, Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina), to return to work to assist with a new case of a serial murderer coined by the media as the "Tooth Fairy" (Tom Noonan). The Tooth Fairy has thus far committed two sets of murders, in consecutive months on the night of the full moon. Both sets of murders, occurring in different cities, were of families in their own houses, the family matriarch in each case was the person the Tooth Fairy seemed to place special attention. Will agrees to the job in part because he too is a family man, he assuring his loving wife Molly Graham (Kim Greist) that he will only examine the evidence and not get immersed psychologically into the case like he did last time. Will can't help but consult Lecktor on the case in needing once again to understand the mind of a psychopathic serial killer. Adding to the complexity of the case is Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang), a reporter with a national tabloid, he who not only sensationalized the Lecktor case, but also capitalized on Will's mental decline during that case. Lounds cannot help but once again try to find something salacious on which to write with Will's involvement in the "Tooth Fairy" case. The case may end up being personal against the other for Will and the "Tooth Fairy", especially as Will discovers some ties, either direct or indirect, back to Lecktor. What neither Will nor the "Tooth Fairy" probably imagined is the entrance of an unexpected person into their lives that may affect what happens. All this becomes more and more important as the next full moon approaches.—Huggo