Three years after the murder of her brother Scott, Erica Reed is still haunted by the escape of his killer, especially now that her Director, Madison Davies, is officially calling it a cold case and refusing to let Erica look into it any more. Instead, Erica and her partner John McCoy are given the mysterious hanging murder of a man whose fingerprints have been removed. Someone wanted him to suffer, but why? Who was he? And why is the crimescene making Erica's powers spiral out of control?

When someone close to Erica is kidnapped by the Wise Monkey, a serial killer fixated on the gruesome mutilation of her victims, Erica is in a race against time to save his life. With the Wise Monkey case in her hands and the FBI's resources already stretched thin, she's on her own to find the killer before it’s too late — again.

When a trail of clues — and bodies — lead Erica to the luxurious Enthon Towers, her post-cognitive powers leave her unable to escape the dark betrayals in its past. The shocking truth about the Oracle’s identity is revealed, along with the killer’s connection to Erica’s own tragic past. No longer sure who she can trust, if anyone, Erica is determined to find the truth, no matter what the cost.

In the intense finale of Cognition, the Cain Killer resurfaces and Erica must work with someone she cannot trust to finish what she started three years ago. But when the time comes to face her brother’s murderer, what lines will Erica be willing to cross? Which will she choose: justice or revenge?