First published 1995
Russell Monroe discovers the body of his former lover, killed in what appears to be a ritual murder. The reporter and crime writer suspects links to other recent deaths in the county. But when he returns to investigate, all traces of the crime have vanished. The case never makes it onto official police records, despite Monroe spotting homicide chief Marty Parish at the scene. More killings follow the same brutal pattern. The killer begins contacting Monroe directly, drawing him deeper into a web of violence and conspiracy. Monroe must navigate this deadly game while his wife battles a terminal brain tumor. He fights to survive the killer's attention as his personal world crumbles around him.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, unreliable-narrator
Setting: County
Period: Summer
360 pages · Paperback · HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Content warnings: murder, violence