by J.D. Robb
Part of In Death, book 19
First published 2005
Lieutenant Eve Dallas arrives at Central Park on a sweltering New York night to find a body positioned on the rocks above The Lake. The victim's hands are arranged in prayer. A red ribbon circles her neck. Most disturbing of all, her eyes have been surgically removed with expert precision. When additional bodies surface bearing identical mutilations, Dallas faces a methodical killer with an unknown agenda. She reluctantly accepts assistance from a psychic whose visions contain unnervingly accurate murder details. The investigation intensifies when Dallas's partner Peabody suffers serious injuries while escaping an attack. Dallas works alongside her husband Roarke to decode the killer's purpose. She questions whether the missing eyes serve as religious symbols, ritual components, or macabre trophies. Time runs short as the murderer continues hunting victims across the city. Dallas must crack the case before another psychic vision transforms into deadly reality.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Central Park, New York
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder