First published 1984
Inspector Pyke of Scotland Yard faces his most baffling case yet. A killer stalks the streets of Holmdale, striking down innocent victims with a long knife. The murderer operates without pattern or rational motive, driven purely by bloodlust. After each killing, a businesslike letter arrives announcing that another "removal has been carried out." Pyke has only the bodies and the killer's own arrogance to guide his investigation. The police struggle to make progress against an enemy who defies traditional detective work. How do you catch a maniac when there is no logical reason behind the crimes? Philip MacDonald abandons his usual detective Anthony Gethryn, leaving readers without their familiar guide through the mystery. This breathless killing spree pushes both the police and readers into uncharted territory, where clear thinking becomes nearly impossible and conventional methods fail.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: breathless, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: maniac-killer, unconventional-methods
Setting: Holmdale, Scotland Yard
Period: 20th-century
252 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder