Critical Threat

In the exciting third installment of Eason’s Extreme Measures series (after Crossfire), behavioral analyst Grace Billingsley races against the clock to find a serial killer. After several women are found dead in separate incidents with forget-me-not flowers in their hands and Bible verses left at the scenes, Grace is called in to investigate. She crosses paths with Sam Monroe, a consultant on the investigation who is the son of a notorious serial killer and works as a psychiatrist at the prison where his father is serving time. Also on the investigation team is Mark Davis, who maintains a cold antagonism toward Sam because Mark’s father had worked the case of Sam’s father, becoming so consumed by it that his wife left him. Nonetheless, Sam and Mark know they share the goal of stopping the killer at all costs and agree to work together. Tensions mount as Sam and Grace seek to apprehend the killer, and in the process the pair develop a close relationship grounded in their mutual trust that God will guide them in their investigation. Eason expertly plots the taut mystery and imbues Sam and Grace’s relationship with palpable emotion. The result is a satisfying inspirational thriller. (Jan.)