Part of Alex Delaware, book 22
First published 2008
A drunk woman vanishes on an empty highway. A retired teacher dies from stab wounds in daylight. Two women are murdered after hours at a beauty salon. LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware face a series of brutal crimes connected only by the killer's choice of expensive cars and complete absence of clear motive. The investigation starts with a single bloodstain in a stolen luxury sedan. Delaware and Sturgis follow the trail from wealthy Los Angeles neighborhoods to the city's desperate fringes. Their search takes them past commodities traders and street prostitutes, eventually reaching New York City where they uncover a cold case that reveals the killer's twisted campaign. The murderer remains elusive, changing appearance and identity while leaving confused witnesses and corpses behind. Delaware and Sturgis must decode the psychology of a killer whose madness defies conventional understanding.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, detective-duo, psychological-game
Setting: Los Angeles, New York City
342 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder, violence