Shadowchase: A Novel of Murder

Blank's first novel is an uneven blend of police procedural and psychological suspense. The murders of a middle-aged brother and sister are seemingly without motives, but recluse Paul Lazzeri knows who the killer is: Dr. Owen Anderson. Twelve years earlier, Paul boarded with the Andersons and learned that their pefect family facade hid a secret that they would protect at all costs. Two mismatched Chicago cops, John Lamp and Sam Hutchinson, are soon on Anderson's trail, although they can't discover what links him to the victims. Racing to gather evidence, they engage in a cat-and-mouse game with the arrogantly clever Anderson. The pathologically shy Paul is an unusual character whose relationship with the Andersons is revealed in engrossing flashbacks. A sudden and totally uncharacteristic change in him ends the tale on a discordant note. (Oct.)