When a mysterious letter bearing threatening words is delivered to Dr. Frederick Starks, his predictable life is thrown into chaos. Suddenly, the psychoanalyst is plunged into a horrific game designed by a man who calls himself Rumplestiltskin. The rules: in two weeks Starks must guess the man's identity and the source of his fury. If he succeeds, he goes free. If he fails, Rumplestiltskin will weekly kill one of Dr. Starks' loved ones, unless the good doctor agrees to kill himself. Starks must rouse himself from the cocoon of his life, unlock the secret of Rumplestiltskin, and find a way to stop the madman before he himself is driven mad.