Part of Rizzoli & Isles, book 1
First published 2001
Dr. Catherine Cordell survived a brutal attack two years ago when she fought back and killed her assailant. Now working as a trauma surgeon in Boston, she has built walls around herself, hiding behind professional competence and emotional distance. A new killer emerges in the city, breaking into homes at night to attack sleeping women with surgical precision. The media dubs him "The Surgeon" for his medical expertise and methodical approach. Detective Thomas Moore investigates the murders, but Cordell realizes something others miss. This killer recreates the exact details of her own assault with chilling accuracy. Each new murder brings him closer to her world, moving from her hospital toward her home. The killer seems to understand the deepest fears of his victims, taunting Cordell specifically as he selects new targets. Moore offers protection and becomes her only source of comfort, but even he cannot shield her from a predator who combines medical knowledge with psychological insight. Cordell must confront both the external threat and her own trauma as the killer closes in.
Genres: medical, suspense, mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, psychological-suspense, serial-killer, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Boston
220 pages · ebook · Bantam
Content warnings: abuse, graphic-violence, medical-trauma, violence