The film follows Hall Baltimore (Val Kilmer), a-down-on-his-luck writer who specializes in novels based upon witch hunting.<ref name="PI"></ref> At a book signing, he is approached by Sheriff Bobby LaGrange (Bruce Dern), an eccentric fan with two requests: that Hall read his latest work and that he also accompany him to the morgue to view the body of a recent murder victim, as Bobby believes that it would make for a great story. Hall reluctantly agrees, and at the morgue he learns that the person was murdered by a serial killer. Despite offers from Bobby, Hall opts to not look at the victim's face. At the coffee shop he learns about a local hotel that once sheltered Edgar Allan Poe. This, along with the murders and various other odd features of the town, prompt Hall to announce to his wife, Denise (Joanne Whalley), that he wants to write a piece based upon the town.