British author James dreams up a horrific intersection of extreme perversion and Internet technology in his frightening, expertly constructed second Det. Supt. Roy Grace novel (after 2006's Dead Simple
). London marketing exec Tom Bryce makes the mistake of popping a CD he found on the train into his computer: it logs him onto a snuff film Web site, where he watches helplessly as a beautiful woman is butchered. Soon thereafter, Grace and his partner, Det. Sgt. Glenn Branson, find the mutilated body of the victim, Janie Stretton, a law student from Brighton, whose murder reminds him of the unsolved disappearance of his wife, Sandy, nine years earlier. While the lawmen pursue elusive leads, Bryce draws the ire of the twisted criminals behind the Web site and sees his family's comfortable suburban life unravel. The rapid-fire suspense builds to a terrifying, graphic conclusion that leaves tantalizing room for future installments in the series. (Mar.)
