BLOOD WARNING. (Dust jacket title: "Blood Warning; The True Story of the New Orleans Slasher.")

A former New Orleans detective describes his 1980 investigation into a string of savage slayings, an invisible trail of mayhem uncovered by intuition and luck

Dillmann's third classic police procedural (after Unholy Matrimony ) describes another real case, although some of the characters have been given fictitious names. A signal over the car radio informs veteran New Orleans detective John Dillmann that a murder has occurred; it is a crime of sensational violence that will be the most difficult case of his career. A few days after the murder of William Hines Jr., a gentle, much-loved proofreader for the New Orleans Times Picayune , there's another homicide, but this time the victim is black, an up-and-coming hotel executive who is young, not middle-aged. The only thing connecting the crimes is the modus operandi of the knife-wielding perpetrator. With Det. Fred Dantagnan and Patrolman John Reilly, Dillmann searches among the dregs of New Orleans society and finally comes up with a short list of unsavory suspects. How Dillmann sets about making the arrest, and how the murderer is finally brought to justice, make a riveting tale. A natural storyteller, Dillmann conveys considerable suspense--no mean trick when the story's a true one, already resolved. Literary Guild, Doubleday Book CLub and Mystery Guild alternates.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is the true story of two horrifying murders, told by the man who ultimately caught the killer. Dillman, a former New Orleans police detective and author of Unholy Matrimony ( LJ 11/1/86), has written a police procedural that grabs the reader almost instantly and does not let go. Dillman paints a picture of the gritty French Quarter and the people who populate it. His deep knowledge of the alleys and byways of New Orleans leads him to an informant who ultimately identifies the killer. Intermixed with the police work is Dillman's personal life, such as it is. He shows the impact of police work on families and the stresses such jobs cause. Written in a breezy, chatty fashion, this will be very popular. Highly recommended. Doubleday Book Club, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild alternate selections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/89.
- Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.