by Peter Straub
First published 1994
Tim Underhill receives an urgent phone call from John Ransom, his old army buddy from Vietnam. Ransom believes a copycat killer is recreating the Blue Rose murders that terrorized their hometown of Millhaven, Illinois decades ago. Ransom fears his wife might become the next victim. Underhill, now a successful novelist, reluctantly returns to Millhaven to help his friend. He reconnects with Tom Pasmore, a reclusive amateur detective who has gained recognition for his investigative skills. Together, Underhill and Pasmore begin probing the new murders. They uncover a web of dark secrets that has festered in Millhaven for years. The killer they're tracking proves more twisted and dangerous than either man anticipated. As Underhill digs deeper into his hometown's buried past, he must confront the connections between the original Blue Rose case and these fresh murders. The investigation forces him to face demons from his own history while racing to stop a murderer who threatens everyone he cares about.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Illinois, Millhaven
Period: Vietnam War
880 pages · Paperback · Harper Collins
Content warnings: violence