So Close the Hand of Death

Those who like plots about a desperate effort to catch multiple serial killers before they can add to their body count will welcome Ellison's sixth Taylor Jackson thriller (after The Immortals). A Nashville homicide lieutenant, Jackson has no time to breathe between psychopaths. Having foiled the savage killer known as Snow White, she must now contend with Snow White's protégé, the Pretender, who's arranged for several murderers to commit crimes around the country patterned on those of the Boston Strangler, Son of Sam, and the Zodiac Killer. As so often happens in such books, Jackson and her team get a handle on the Pretender's likely true identity early on, then try to figure out what mask he's been hiding behind to escape detection. Ellison offers few genuine surprises and little depth, but airport readers seeking to kill a few hours could do worse. (Mar.)