Part of Isaac Bell, book 1
First published 2007
Isaac Bell watches a steam locomotive emerge from the depths of a Montana lake in 1950, carrying the remains of three men dead for forty-four years. The real story began in 1906, when Bell was the government's best detective, called in to stop the "Butcher Bandit." For two years, this killer has robbed banks across the western states, murdering every witness before disappearing completely. Bell tracks his quarry from Arizona through Colorado to San Francisco, where the great earthquake and fire provide a chaotic backdrop to their deadly game. The detective uses science, logic, and instinct to close in on his target, but each time he grasps only empty air. Bell realizes he faces the most brilliant criminal mind of his career, aided by a mysterious woman who holds crucial secrets. As the pursuit intensifies, the bandit grows furious and turns the tables. Now Bell must use every skill he possesses not just to catch his man, but to stay alive as hunter becomes hunted.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, crime, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, detective-story, historical-setting
Setting: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, San Francisco
Period: 1906, 1950
404 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons