by J. A. Jance
Part of J.P. Beaumont, book 4
First published 1987
Detective J.P. Beaumont has investigated countless murders in Seattle, but nothing prepared him for this crime scene. The victim lies dead, killed by a woman's stiletto heel, its point bloodied from the fatal attack. The weapon forces Beaumont to confront an uncomfortable truth: women can be just as savage as men. The shoe belongs to a stylish killer who operates in Seattle's underworld of narcotics and corruption. As Beaumont follows the trail, he enters a dangerous realm where appearances deceive and violence wears designer labels. The investigation pulls him deeper into a network of criminals who turn the glamorous surface of city life into something deadly. Beaumont must navigate this treacherous world where his usual assumptions about predators no longer apply. The case challenges everything he thought he knew about murder and the people who commit it.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: detective, murder-investigation
Setting: Seattle
352 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Avon Books
Content warnings: violence