Punishment

This intriguing series launch from Holliday (Normal) effectively uses a paranormal gimmick: a machine that allows law enforcement officials to vividly experience the memories and feelings of crime victims, both living and dead. Detroit homicide detective John Barnes and his partner, Billy Franklin, are trying to catch a serial killer known as the Pickax Man for his weapon preference. The machine is helping work the case, but there are risks. For example, it drove Billy’s former partner, Tom Watkins, insane. When John plugs himself into the machine, he picks up on the romantic fantasies of one of the Pickax Man’s victims, janitor Dale Wilson, about Jessica Taylor, a teacher at the school where Dale worked. As a result, John falls in love with Jessica, complicating the investigation. Meanwhile, the clever killer, whose rich backstory is one the book’s strengths, teases John and Billy with poems left at the crime scenes. Readers who can get past the overly ornate prose at the beginning will be rewarded. (Feb.)