The Book Gourmet

A killer, copying the MO of Jack the Reaper, mutilates a street LC in Chinatown, leaving a note for Lieutenant Eve Dallas, taunting her and signing it as "Jack"...With his next victim, he emulates the Boston Strangler, leaving another message for Eve...It's obviously he's "targeted" her because she's a woman and he knows he can best her, that she'll never catch him...And maybe he's already chosen her as his last victim.


Oh, boy, I just love me some serial killer and this one had them in spades. Maybe it was only one copy-cat, but we got quite a little lesson in serial killer history, starting with the fist one, Jack the Reaper.

The story was gripping and fast-paced, I loved the investigative approach and procedural, although, like Eve, I knew who the baddie was from the start. Maybe because I also didn't like him, or maybe because his place of work is featured on one of the alternative book covers (not a good choice, if you ask me).
Still, it was intense and the mystery of who might be next, both in the form of victim and perpetrator, kept things lively and interesting.

On the "personal" front we were back in the Eve-sphere of childhood traumas, as she, thanks to her nightmares, learned yet another tidbit about her past. I didn't really appreciated Roarke's demand for her not to shut him out, as he did the same in the previous book and was surprised she didn't mention it...But to each their own.
I did like how Peabody used her observation and detective skills in putting two and two together as to why her lieutenant goes all wonky with certain types of crimes, and their friendship got yet another boost on its evolution ladder. I'm also looking forward to their work dynamic in the future.

It was a fast-paced and engrossing book with a good mixture and balance between the suspense/mystery and the personal stories of the always-interesting cast of characters.