"Outstanding . . . An attention to forensic and procedural detail unmatched outside of Ed McBain's best . . . A read-through-the-night story" (Kirkus Reviews).




Police Sgt. Lou Boldt heads a special task force within Seattle's homicide bureau. His job: find and stop the Cross Killer, a twisted, perverse serial murderer who has eluded police for six months and paralyzed the city. But when a body washes up on the shore of Puget Sound, Boldt thinks the killer has finally made a mistake. This body shows some of the work of the Cross Killer-but a job badly botched. Did this woman die while trying to escape? Did she knowingly jump in the water to preserve a clue? And is she now desperately trying to tell Boldt something? With the help of the alluring Daphne Matthews, a police psychologist, Boldt must piece together the complex puzzle.




From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Chris Klick series and the Walt Fleming series, this thriller reveals "an authentic feeling for police investigation and forensic medicine, and a remarkable insight and understanding of the motivations of the criminal mind" (Publishers Weekly).




"Pearson has done well at putting together the grueling steps in an investigation . . . His characters are believable, and it's an enjoyable entertainment." -Chicago Tribune