by James Hayman
First published 2018
Zoe McCabe takes her final bow as Desdemona in an off-Broadway Othello production. The beautiful young actress has earned standing ovations and rave reviews. She doesn't know that someone in the audience has watched her every night. This observer has crafted deadly plans for Zoe to star in his own twisted production. Portland detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage are adjusting to their new relationship when a late night call shatters their peace. Mike's brother Bobby calls with devastating news. Zoe, Mike's beloved niece and Bobby's daughter, has disappeared. The NYPD believes The Star Struck Strangler has taken her. This killer has been abducting beautiful young performers, abusing them, then strangling them. Bobby pleads with Mike to return to the New York City crime beat he abandoned years ago. He needs Mike to work his old connections and find Zoe before her time expires. The case becomes deeply personal for McCabe and Savage. They race against time to stop the vicious attacker before the McCabe family suffers irreparable damage.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: personal-stakes, race-against-time
Setting: New York City, Portland
Period: Contemporary
368 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: murder, violence