A Burning Obsession

Bestseller Omer’s well-crafted third and final Abby Mullen thriller (after Damaged Intentions) teams NYPD hostage negotiator Abby with hardheaded FBI profiler Zoe Bentley, the star of another Omer series. Back in 1987, religious cult leader Moses Wilcox locked his entire congregation in the dining room of his North Carolina compound and burned it down, killing 59 people, including Abby’s parents. Only Abby and a few other children survived. Now, more than 30 years later, Abby and Zoe are sure several new cases of arson and murder are related to Wilcox. Abby feels he’s driven by twisted religious motives, but Zoe, who initially thought Abby wasn’t needed in the investigation, believes he’s compelled by an obsessive sexual drive. The stakes rise when Wilcox threatens Abby’s children. In short, often horrific, fast-moving scenes, the two women learn to work together, their respective talents complementing each other’s. By focusing on the two women’s contrasting personalities, Omer adds heat to the familiar plot of police pursuing a mad man. This one’s an obvious candidate for film adaptation. Agent: Sarah Hershman, Hershman Rights Management. (Nov.)