by J.D. Robb
Part of In Death, book 21
First published 2006
Detective Eve Dallas stares at the body of Dr. Wilfred B. Icove, a pioneer in reconstructive surgery, stabbed once through the heart in his pristine office. The crime scene is too clean, too perfect. Security footage reveals a beautiful woman entering and leaving the building as his final appointment. Dallas knows the victim's spotless reputation hides something darker. When Icove's son and successor dies the same way, killed with identical precision, Dallas realizes she faces a methodical killer with a specific agenda. Her husband Roarke works behind the scenes while Dallas digs into the Icoves' past. She uncovers two generations of doctors who pushed beyond the boundaries of science and morality in their quest to create human perfection. The mystery woman remains elusive, but Dallas must discover her connection to the victims before the killer strikes again. Set in 2059 New York City, this case forces Dallas to confront how far science should go in remaking humanity.
Genres: science-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detective-story, police-procedural, serial-killer
Setting: New York City
Period: 2059
347 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley Books
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, murder