by Jan Burke
Part of Irene Kelly, book 3
First published 2003
Irene Kelly tosses aside the letter signed "Thanatos" when it arrives at her newspaper desk. Strange mail comes with the job. But when a corpse appears the following day, the reporter realizes someone wants her attention. More letters arrive as bodies pile up across the city. The killer sees himself as a playwright directing an ancient Greek tragedy. He has chosen Irene for the role of Cassandra, the prophet cursed to speak truths no one will believe. Each murder follows his classical script. Each message draws Irene deeper into his deadly performance. The killer wants to prove he can orchestrate death like the ancient dramatists orchestrated fate. He saves the final scene for Irene herself. She must decode his mythological clues before he writes her exit from his twisted play.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, unreliable-narrator
Setting: City
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket Books
Content warnings: murder, violence