Book excerpt: A police detective pursues a serial killer stalking the streets of a south Chicago neighborhood and learns that what first looked to be random murders are not random at all. It’s urban Chicago circa 1995, and a street-savvy police detective, Kyle McNally, has the lead on a task force following the trail of an interstate serial killer. The investigation tracks McNally and his antagonist, appropriately tagged “Slugger,” through a maze of suspects, political conspiracies, and unconscionable human greed. Time is against McNally, and with each new victim, the heat on him from his commander increases. The story exudes a noir detective aura populated by a supporting cast of criminals, cohorts, and dark city scenes that will strike a familiar chord with crime detective story enthusiasts. With the capture, interrogation, and disappointing release of each new suspect, McNally’s frustration and desperation deepens. He must overcome the loss of two partners and his own personal demons before he can crawl inside the killer’s head and solve the case. During the investigation, he meets a feisty but attractive medical examiner, Dr. Mykel Hartley, with a reputation as a man hater. After overcoming their early dislike for each other, a relationship develops between them. But it is Dr. Hartley’s own secret past that may ultimately hold the identity of the evil genius, the Slugger.