by James Hayman
First published 2010
A young woman's body turns up in a Portland junkyard, brutally assaulted and missing her heart. Detective Sergeant McCabe examines the crime scene and discovers the organ was removed through surgical precision while the victim was still conscious, without anesthesia. The same day brings news of another missing woman, young and healthy like the first victim. McCabe realizes he may be tracking a serial killer with medical expertise. The investigation leads him toward Portland's most distinguished surgeons, creating a bureaucratic nightmare as he tries to pursue suspects from the city's elite medical community. Time runs short as McCabe races to find the second victim before she suffers the same fate. He must navigate political obstacles while hunting someone who combines surgical skill with savage brutality. Portland, a quiet city that saw only two murders the previous year, now faces a killer who steals hearts in the most literal sense.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: elite-community, police-investigation
Setting: Portland
365 pages · Paperback · Bilge Kultur Sanat
Content warnings: graphic-violence, medical-trauma