LoveMurder

Black’s riveting follow-up to 2015’s The Killing Lessons puts a fresh spin on the familiar scenario of a cop drawn into a game of cat and mouse by an imprisoned serial killer. San Francisco homicide detective Valerie Hart is called in to investigate a murder when a note addressed to Valerie is found taped to the victim’s body. Years earlier, Valerie put beautiful and brilliant Katherine Glass (“the most hated woman in America”) behind bars for a series of brutal videotaped murders. Now, Katherine’s still-at-large partner in crime demands that she be released, or the killings will continue. He leaves a series of elaborate clues that only Katherine can decipher, giving Valerie no choice but to engage with the alluring killer. Black (a pseudonym for writer Glen Duncan) explores themes of love and trust, and doesn’t shy away from Valerie’s complex emotional world. Sharp plotting and snappy dialogue propel the action to an exciting conclusion, though readers should be prepared for graphic violence, especially early on. [em]75,000 announced first printing. Agent: Jane Gelfman, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency. (July) [/em]