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The “taut and haunting” first thriller in the Gardiner and Renner series from the New York Times bestselling author of Every Kind of Wicked (Jeff Lindsay, creator of the Dexter series). As a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department, Maggie Gardiner has seen her share of Jane Does. The latest is an unidentified female in her early teens, discovered in a local cemetery. More shocking than the girl’s injuries—for Maggie at least—is the fact that no one has reported her missing. She and the detectives assigned to the case (including her cop ex-husband) are determined to follow every lead, run down every scrap of evidence. But the monster they seek is watching every move, closer to them than they could possibly imagine. Jack Renner is a killer. He doesn’t murder because he enjoys it, or because he believes himself omnipotent, or for any reason other than to make the world a safer place. When he follows the trail of this Jane Doe to a locked room in a small apartment where eighteen teenaged girls are anything but safe, he knows something must be done. But his pursuit of their captor takes an unexpected turn. Maggie Gardiner finds another body waiting for her in the autopsy room—and a host of questions that will challenge everything she believes about justice, morality, and the true nature of evil . . . “An absolute must read.”—Suspense Magazine “Black skillfully portrays the stark realities of homicide cases.”—Library Journal “Intriguing forensic details help drive the plot to its satisfying conclusion.”—Publishers Weekly “The surprising ending is sure to keep readers coming back for more.”—Booklist
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This fun page-turner delves into the morally murky world of vigilantes and law enforcement. I enjoyed the more realistic look at forensic science in contrast to the dramatized and belief-stretching portrayal in TV shows. The author is an actual forensic scientist so the science in the books rings true. While the book was at times a little slow and predictable, I was never bored and raced through to the end. I would definitely recommend it for fans of crime fiction, and I look forward to the next installment in the series!