Part of Harry Stoner Mystery, book 2
First published 1980
Harry Stoner feels the weight of his years when he meets Kate Davis. She carries the fresh scent of toothpaste and talc mixed with something sweeter than lilacs. Cincinnati burns with autumn colors as they work together on what begins as simple library vandalism. The case pulls them down a winding route toward an unsolved killing. A dangerous psychopath waits at the end of their investigation, pumped full of stimulants and ready for violence. Harry knows Kate should stay away from this mess. Her perfection makes him feel both old and smitten, two feelings that spell trouble for a detective trying to keep his partner safe. The twisted act of destruction at the library was just the beginning of something much darker.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Cincinnati
Period: Autumn
246 pages · Hardcover · Dodd Mead
Content warnings: violence