The Edge

As homicide detective Cassandra Mansfield of the Washington, D.C., police department probes a series of gruesome, ritualistic murders, she begins to suspect that maverick neurosurgeon Nicholas Ramsey, brother of a notorious serial killer, may be involved

Medical technology turns a standard whodunit into a grisly and satisfying thriller. Olshaker (Blood Race, 1989, etc.) tells of the pursuit of a serial killer who chooses an ancient, bloody sacrifice ritual for each of his victims. The narrator, Detective Sandy Mansfield, determines from scant clues that the suspect is a large, right-handed, surgically skilled male--and a copycat of Neville Ramsey, the notorious artist and serial killer who recently committed suicide in prison. His brother, Dr. Nicholas Ramsey, is a successful D.C. neurosurgeon and the prime suspect, but Sandy's legs ``prickle'' whenever she is near him, making her unsure. She closely follows Nicholas's movements; one night, expecting to prevent another murder, she breaks into the house where his car is parked, interrupting a liaison between Ashby Collier, a powerful attorney and...not Nicholas, but his colleague, Dr. Robert Fusillo. This blunder causes Sandy's cronies at the precinct to lose faith in her. Meanwhile the killer draws near: He makes a third victim of her friend, a journalist; he sends her threatening letters; he breaks into her apartment. Sandy dismisses the usual lunatics who eagerly confess to the murders, including Christopher Taylor, a young actor who has had dreams of committing them, until she steals Nicholas's appointment book and finds that Christopher was his patient, as were Ashby and the first victim. All evidence points to Nicholas. Is he carrying on the legacy of his brother? Could Sandy be falling in love with this madman? Sandy mentions her sexy appearance too much, and her scattered menstruation puns (while a killer is climbing through her bedroom window) make it clear that the author is too tickled by his newfound muliebrity to create a convincing female detective, but he is more successful at using the unlikely gimmick of organ transplants and morphic resonance for a credible and stunning solution. A gritty cop story distinguished by its original and brain-teasing ending. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

In this fast-moving, enjoyable, though explicitly violent yarn, the titular edge is that of the mind-brain frontier, and Sandy Mansfield, detective on the Washington, D.C., police force, finds herself working on both sides of it. Victims appear periodically: one had her heart cut out while alive, another was tortured to death, a third unwillingly played the role of St. Sebastian, and the last was burned to death. Major suspects include Neville Ramsey, torturer and artist (though the case against him appears flawed because he died before the first murder); Chris Taylor, an actor; and Nicholas Ramsey, Neville's brilliant, inventive neurosurgeon brother. A break-in at Sandy's apartment nets the thief a pair of blue bikini panties and a pendant, and when those items turn up on subsequent murder victims, Sandy and her colleagues start feeling antsy. Four anonymous letters indicating that the killer is regularly observing Sandy and thinking of adding her to the death toll increase the tension. When everything is finally sorted out, the reader realizes that, once again, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. William Beatty

Olshaker's talent for medical thrillers, evident in Unnatural Causes (Morrow, 1986. o.p.), makes this a first-rate thriller general readers will not be able to put aside. Having written the PBS series Mind of a Serial Killer, Olshaker has taken his knowledge and crafted a totally convincing work whose unexpected twists and jolts make it unforgettable. Detective Cassandra Mansfield of the Washington, D.C., police department pursues someone who is gruesomely murdering young women with the precision of a surgeon. The killer's style is reminiscent of a notorious murderer who committed suicide months before. However, the murderer's brother is a practicing neurosurgeon with a questionable past. Mansfield races against time to find the killer before he strikes again. For popular collections.
Alice DiNizo, Raritan P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.