SIGNATURE KILL

When a sex killer terrorizes Indianapolis, ex-cop Frank Behr (Thirteen Million Dollar Pop, 2011, etc.) swings into action, with darkly mixed results.

His subzero bank balance prompts Frank to call on Kerry Gibbons, who’s offering a $100,000 reward for information about her daughter, Kendra, who disappeared more than a year ago. Making preliminary inquires among the people he considers his contacts, Behr soon learns that his friendships, like his finances, are running on fumes. Lt. Gary Breslau of the Indianapolis Metro PD keeps him at arm’s length. Frank’s old training officer, bar owner Gene Sasso, indicates that Frank’s extended silence has all but burned the bridge between them. Forensic pathologist Jean Gannon has retired from practice. Even Behr’s girlfriend, Susan, has moved out, taking their baby son, Trevor. Meanwhile, interspersed chapters that become harder and harder to read track the killer as he stalks, abducts, tortures, kills and photographs the latest in what turns out to be a long series of victims. Luckily, Behr finds new helpers to replace the friends who’ve dropped out, or dropped him. Criminal psychologist Lisa Mistretta is so avid to collaborate with Behr that they end up in bed. And crime scene photographer Django Quinn gets close enough to the killer to rue the day he was born. There’s never any doubt that Behr will get his man, but what happens when he does will make your hair stand on end.

The combination of peerlessly depressive Behr and the formulaic serial-killer plot produces a thriller at once mordant, grueling and routine.