Burnt Offerings

A psychopath, who burns people alive as part of a twisted sacrificial rite, terrorizes north Florida in Lister’s suspenseful serial killer thriller. Daniel Davis, a retired academic who used to profile monsters in human form, stumbles on the first corpse. The investigation into the murder is, conveniently, assigned to Samantha “Sam” Michaels, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who previously worked with Davis. Before Michaels can get any sort of meaningful handle on the case, another burnt body surfaces. Lister (The Body and the Blood) effectively integrates passages from the unnamed killer’s perspective, which make clear that the crimes are aimed at Davis for some unknown reason. As the body count increases, the pressure mounts on Michaels to crack the case. The murderer’s motive is not typical, and the leads are strong enough to warrant a series. (Apr.)