Part of Alex Cross, book 20
First published 2013
Detective Alex Cross faces his worst nightmare when Washington D.C. erupts in terror. Three bodies appear across the city. A young mother hangs from a sixth floor window, her newborn baby missing. Two more victims follow, sparking rumors that three separate serial killers are loose in the capital. The entire city descends into panic as Cross struggles to connect the dots between the murders. Meanwhile, plastic surgeon Elijah Creem walks free after serving time for sleeping with teenage patients. Cross put him behind bars, destroying his career and reputation. Now Creem has given himself a new face, making him unrecognizable as he plots his revenge. Cross focuses intensely on solving the serial killer cases, unaware that someone watches his every move. Creem will not stop until Cross pays the ultimate price for ruining his life. As the body count rises and the city spirals into chaos, Cross must solve three separate murder cases while staying one step ahead of a predator who knows exactly where to find him.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Washington DC
Period: 21st-century
407 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company
Content warnings: murder, violence