First published 2015
A concert at a small venue on the Monterey Peninsula turns deadly when someone shouts "fire." Panicked concertgoers rush toward the exits, only to discover the doors won't open. Six people die in the crushing stampede. No fire ever existed. California Bureau of Investigation agent Kathryn Dance arrives to investigate what appears to be a tragic accident. Dance specializes in reading body language and detecting deception. Her analysis reveals the stampede was deliberately triggered. The killer weaponizes human psychology, exploiting fear and panic to murder without directly harming anyone. Dance realizes this represents a new kind of serial killing. The perpetrator has planned additional attacks using the same method. Dance and her investigative team work to identify the killer's next target before he strikes again. The case forces Dance to understand how ordinary emotions can become instruments of death. She must think like someone who views human nature itself as the perfect weapon.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, deception, investigative-journalism
Setting: Monterey Peninsula, California
Period: 21st-century
456 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: murder, violence