When killing becomes a work of art . . .
'Cathy was only six when Mr Lauter had killed himself and his wife in the house across the street. The little girl had been playing outside when she heard the first shot . . . and the scream'.
Many years later, that same quiet street is again blighted by the smell of death. And for Cathy Riley, now living alone with her disabled father, it's like an old nightmare reborn.
For what kind of devil could devise a new and intricate method of slaughter every time - turning each horrifying death into a macabre act of creative genius? And what fiendish form will the next murder take?
Caught in a closing net of terror, Cathy is thrown together with Detective Allan Grant - who has so far been following one false trail after another in pursuit of the mysterious killer. And, unless they can uncover a secret no sane mind would dream of, the grisly slayings will move ever closer . . .