Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Synopsis
Twenty-five years ago, Jeffrey and Susan Clayton fled their tyrannical father--a man who was later suspected in the heinous murder of a young student. Though the father was never charged, he committed suicide. Or so it seemed. For someone has sent Susan a cryptic note. Once deciphered, it carries a terrifying message: I have found you.
Meanwhile, a serial killer has invaded a tightly controlled community. Is Jeffrey Clayton's father the source of this latest killing spree? The authorities think so--and they present Jeffrey, now a noted expert on serial killers, with a challenge: Find the butcher responsible for the newborn spate of carnage. Find your father. . . .
Library Journal
In his new novel, Katzenbach (Just Cause, LJ 7/92) portrays the machinations of a self-styled omniscient murderer who is made more frightening by what is left unsaid than by what is said. In the not-too-distant future, Jeffrey Clayton, a psychologist and expert tracker of serial killers, learns about several vicious killings in the Western Territory, the only "safe zone" in the continental United States. Everyone elsewhere, including Jeffrey's sister, Susan, who writes word puzzles for a Florida newspaper, carries an arsenal of weapons. Years ago, the Claytons' mother had fled with her children when she recognized that her husband was a murderer. Now he is freely killing young women in the Western Territory while stalking and playing mind games with his daughter. Soon the entire family is assembled in the West to play out a deadly contest. Katzenbach is a master at creating believable people caught up in horrific situations. Librarians can recommend this title to anyone who wants a well-written suspense novel dealing with the serial killer but without most of the usual accompanying gore.Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., Ohio