Book excerpt: From a “master of the genre,” a psychological thriller about a detective who turns to a trauma survivor to track down a copycat serial killer. (New York Times bestselling authorClive Cussler) This murderer went after young courting couples in an attempt to “save their souls.” Nadia was killed by the first blow of the hammer. John survived, but was physically and psychologically scarred to an extent that few people could comprehend. He withdrew from society, hid in his apartment, and now only emerges to work as a crime researcher for a major newspaper. Damaged as he may be, no one in New Jersey knows more about serial killers than John Costello. So, when a new spate of murders starts--all seemingly random and unrelated--John is the only one who can discern the complex pattern that lies behind them. But could this dark knowledge threaten his own life? “So real is Ellory’s writing that the lines between journalism and crime fiction blur. Though Ellory’s standalone crime thrillers grab readers by the throat and don’t let go until the last page, Detective Irving has the makings of Connelly’s Harry Bosch on steroids, sure to be a repeat character—and made with cinematic success into a blockbuster movie.” —Bookreporter.com “Ellory’s gripping thriller should appeal to lovers of procedurals and may also draw readers of true crime, as it deals with many actual serial killings” —Library Journal