Dead of Winter

P.J. Parrish's stunning debut novel Dark of the Moon offered a stylish blend of suspense, knife-edge tension, and a complex and intriguing hero. Now, in "Dead of Winter", Parrish brings back police detective Louis Kincaid, as he investigates a series of gruesome murders...and is drawn into the nightmare mind of a killer.

In the quaint tourist town of Loon Lake, Michigan, a killer is taking his vengeance. One by one, the bodies are found, brutally executed, with mysteriously coded death cards placed beside each corpse -- the signature of a psychopath. And the only sound louder than doors and windows being locked against evil is the sound of hearts beating in terror.

Detective Louis Kincaid had come north looking for a refuge, a place to forget the horrors of his past. But now he's landed in the middle of an investigation that's more than a mystery. It's a warning of bad things to come...of a terrifying journey through a town's fiercely protected heart of darkness...and into the dangerous world of a madman.

Landing a job with the police force in Loon Lake, Mich., a resort town "winter wonderland," sounds idyllic to Louis Kincaid, but when he meets his chief, ex-military man Brian Gibralter, he realizes that he has much to learn about small-town proceedings. Gibralter is all spit and polish, a taskmaster who preaches absolute loyalty to the force. Although Louis's fellow officers are friendly, he begins to question Gibralter's motives for hiring him when he learns that his predecessor, also a young African-American, was murdered, a mysteriously scrawled playing card found beside him. One murder is disturbing enough in the peaceful area, so when a former cop is found frozen with a bullet in him, fear that a psychopath is stalking the department spreads. The brutality of the acts suggests revenge, but Louis quickly realizes that the killer must have studied his victims closely. As Louis investigates further, he becomes cautious even with partner Jesse Harrison and the enigmatic Zoe Devereaux. Parrish (Dark of the Moon) deftly depicts the empty winter landscape and the relentless intensity of the killer's pursuit. A suspenseful tale of a man who must question his principles and loyalties, Parrish's latest will appeal to those seeking a fast-paced thriller propelled by a cast of charismatic characters.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.