New Releases by Jeffery Deaver

The "most clever plotter on the planet"(Publishers Weekly) Jeffery Deaver returns in this twisty new thriller, as forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme and detective Amelia Sachs track a criminal with a bizarre and catastrophic m.o.—toppling the construction cranes in New York City. When a New York City construction crane mysteriously collapses, causing mass destruction and injury, Rhyme and Sachs are on the case. A political group claims responsibility for the sabotage and threatens another attack in twenty-four hours, unless its demands are met. The clock is ticking. Then a clue reveals to Rhyme that his nemesis, known as the Watchmaker, has come to town to fulfill his promise of murdering the criminalist. Now Rhyme and Sachs have to dodge his brilliant scheme to destroy them both, while racing against time to stop the construction site terrorists. With New York in a panic, Rhyme and his team must unravel a handful of plots as tightly wound as a timepiece—before more cranes fall, raining down death and destruction from above.

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE UPCOMING CBS ORIGINAL SERIES TRACKER In New York Times bestselling master of suspense Jeffery Deaver's riveting thriller, reward seeker Colter Shaw plunges into the woods and races the clock in a case where nothing is quite what it seems. Allison Parker is on the run with her teenage daughter, Hannah, and Colter Shaw has been hired by her eccentric boss, entrepreneur Marty Harmon, to find and protect her. Though he’s an expert at tracking missing persons—even those who don’t wish to be found—Shaw has met his match in Allison, who brings all her skills as a brilliant engineer designing revolutionary technology to the game of evading detection. The reason for Allison’s panicked flight is soon apparent. She’s being stalked by her ex-husband, Jon Merritt. Newly released from prison and fueled by blinding rage, Jon is a man whose former profession as a police detective makes him uniquely suited for the hunt. And he’s not alone. Two hitmen are also hot on her heels—an eerie pair of thugs who take delight not only in murder but in the sport of devising clever ways to make bodies disappear forever. Even if Shaw manages to catch up with Allison and her daughter, his troubles will just be beginning. As Shaw ventures further into the wilderness, the truth becomes as hard to decipher as the forest’s unmarked trails...and peril awaits at every turn.

Forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme investigates his strangest case yet in this diabolical new story. A serial killer in the making? Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are called upon to tackle a crime unlike any they’ve ever faced. An unknown subject is using his formidable skills to work his way into the lives—and hearts—of his victims, all with the goal of utterly destroying them psychologically and emotionally . . . for his pure pleasure. Rhyme recognizes the trademark sadism of a future serial killer, but the man has been meticulously careful—indeed, stopping just short of illegal behavior, ensuring that the criminalist’s forensic skills are useless against him. Will Rhyme and Sachs be able to stop the ruthless perp before the inevitable happens and he decides that breaking people metaphorically is no longer enough?

The "master of ticking-bomb suspense" (People) Jeffery Deaver delivers the latest thriller featuring his beloved protagonists Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs as they search for a criminal whose fascination with breaking locks terrorizes New York City. A woman awakes in the morning to find that someone has picked her apartment’s supposedly impregnable door lock and rearranged personal items, even sitting beside her while she slept. The intrusion, the police learn, is a message to the entire city of carnage to come. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to investigate and soon learn that the sociopathic intruder, who calls himself "the Locksmith,” can break through any lock or security system ever devised. With more victims on the horizon, Rhyme, Sachs and their stable of associates must follow the evidence to the man’s lair… and discover his true mission. Their hunt is interrupted when an internal investigation in the police force uncovers what seems to be a crucial mistake in one of Rhyme's previous cases. He’s fired as a consultant for the NYPD and must risk jail if he investigates the Locksmith case in secret. The Midnight Lock is a roller-coaster read that takes place over just a few days’ time, features surprise after surprise and offers a fascinating look at the esoteric world of lockpicking.

Reward seeker Colter Shaw faces a ticking clock with murderous consequences in this riveting short story. A serial kidnapper is on the loose in a small town in Maine, targeting wealthy women and demanding a huge ransom in bitcoin for their safe return. When his latest victim’s husband claims that he can’t come up with the money, the word “deadline” takes on a disturbingly literal meaning. The local police are out of their depth, but Colter Shaw takes the lead in the investigation. Soon, he’s using his survivalist instincts to uncover clues and pursue suspects, putting his own life on the line to catch the would-be killer before the countdown hits zero.

A deviously clever story featuring the beloved forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme. When the FBI comes to Lincoln Rhyme with the news that a mysterious assassin is targeting him, the detective is not particularly concerned. With his long career putting away criminals, he is accustomed to threats on his life, and has designed his Upper West Side townhome to be secure against nearly any threat. But when the assassin gets too close for comfort, shadowing Rhyme and his wife Amelia Sachs as they go about their daily life, Rhyme determines to find out why this person is after him. He must put himself inside the mind of a killer in order to save his own life, and possibly the lives of those he loves most.

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE UPCOMING CBS ORIGINAL SERIES TRACKER “The master of ticking-bomb suspense” (People) returns with a devilishly good thriller, and reward seeker Colter Shaw's most personal case to date. Just hours after the harrowing events of The Never Game and The Goodbye Man, Colter Shaw finds himself in San Francisco, where he has taken on the mission his father began years ago: finding a missing courier bag containing evidence that will bring down a corporate espionage firm responsible for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of deaths. Following the enigmatic clues his father left behind, Shaw plays cat and mouse with the company's sadistic enforcers, as he speeds from one gritty neighborhood in the City by the Bay to another. Suddenly, the job takes on a frightening urgency: Only by finding the courier bag can he expose the company and stop the murder of an entire family—slated to die in forty-eight hours. With the help of an unexpected figure from his past, and with the enforcers closing the net, Shaw narrows in on the truth—and learns that the courier bag contains something unexpected: a secret that could only be described as catastrophic. Filled with dozens of twists and reversals, The Final Twist is a nonstop race against time to save the family...and to keep the devastating secret Shaw has uncovered from falling into the wrong hands. CBS, CBS Eye Design, and related logos are trademarks of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. TRACKER is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Used under license.

Now a major television series starring Russel Hornsby, Arielle Kebbel, and Michael Imperioli, “Lincoln Rhyme is more relentless than ever” (People) and Jeffery Deaver delivers “supercharged tension” (USA TODAY) in this New York Times bestselling suspense masterwork. NYPD criminalist Lincoln Rhyme joins his brilliant protégé Amelia Sachs, in the hunt for the Coffin Dancer—an ingenious killer who changes his appearance even faster than he adds to his trail of victims. They have only one clue: the madman has a tattoo of the Grim Reaper waltzing with a woman in the front of a coffin. Rhyme must rely on his wits and intuition to track the elusive murderer through New York City—knowing they have only forty-eight hours before the Coffin Dancer strikes again. Coffin Dancer is a “heart-stopping” (Booklist) thriller from #1 international bestselling author Jeffery Deaver’s “simply outstanding” (San Jose Mercury News) Lincoln Rhyme series.

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE UPCOMING CBS ORIGINAL SERIES TRACKER In this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling master of suspense, reward-seeker Colter Shaw infiltrates a sinister cult after learning that the only way to get somebody out...is to go in. In the wilderness of Washington State, expert tracker Colter Shaw has located two young men accused of a terrible hate crime. But when his pursuit takes a shocking and tragic turn, Shaw becomes desperate to discover what went so horribly wrong and if he is to blame. Shaw's search for answers leads him to a shadowy organization that bills itself as a grief support group. But is it truly it a community that consoles the bereaved? Or a dangerous cult with a growing body count? Undercover, Shaw joins the mysterious group, risking everything despite the fact that no reward is on offer. He soon finds that some people will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden...and to make sure that he or those close to him say “goodbye” forever. CBS, CBS Eye Design, and related logos are trademarks of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. TRACKER is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Used under license.

The first installment in Jeffery Deaver’s Colter Shaw series—the inspiration for the CBS original series TRACKER starring Justin Hartley! The son of a survivalist family, Colter Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and locate missing persons for private citizens. “You’ve been abandoned. Escape if you can. Or die with dignity.” Hired by the father of a young woman who has gone missing in Silicon Valley, Shaw's search takes him into the dark heart of America’s cutthroat billion-dollar video-game industry. When another person goes missing, Shaw must ask: Is a madman bringing a twisted video game to life? Encountering eccentric designers, trigger-happy gamers, and ruthless tech titans, Shaw soon learns that he isn't the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast.... Named a Crime Novel of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, The Never Game proves once more why “Deaver is a genius when it comes to manipulation and deception” (Associated Press).

A new original story from the bestselling and award-winning master of suspense, featuring Colter Shaw. Colter Shaw is a career "reward-seeker," making his living locating missing persons and collecting reward money in return. In the course of his search for a missing woman, he visits the police station in the small Kansas town of Humble, and, is pulled into a puzzling case. A man is holding a hostage in a lakeside cabin, and the Humble police need Shaw's experience and know-how to assess the situation, and the captor's motives. As Shaw begins negotiating, he begins to realize that nothing about the hostage situation is as it seems, including the hostage himself.

SOON TO BE A MAJOR TELEVISION EVENT FROM NBC, STARRING RUSSELL HORNSBY, ARIELLE KEBBEL, AND MICHAEL IMPERIOLI. Lincoln Rhyme, the quadriplegic detective made famous in The Bone Collector is back in a thriller from the masterful Jeffery Deaver. When a sadistic killer leaves clocks at his murder scenes, will time run out for the criminologist and his partner Amelia Sachs? On a frigid December night, an eerie pattern emerges from two equally brutal murder scenes, where a killer’s calling card is a moon-faced clock that seemingly ticked away the victims’ last moments. From his wheelchair, criminologist Lincoln Rhyme tracks the Watchmaker, a time-obsessed genius. With every passing second, the Watchmaker is moving with razor-sharp precision to his next act of perfectly orchestrated violence—and Rhyme can’t afford to have his trusted partner Amelia Sachs distracted by a daunting homicide case of her own. Up against a brilliant madman, Rhyme and Sachs are locked in a blood-chilling race with their deadliest enemy: time itself.

SOON TO BE A MAJOR TELEVISION EVENT FROM NBC, STARRING RUSSELL HORNSBY, ARIELLE KEBBEL, AND MICHAEL IMPERIOLI. The follow-up to Jeffery Deaver’s massive bestseller The Bone Collector (also a feature film starring Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington) The Stone Monkey is a “simply outstanding” (San Jose Mercury News) addition to the Lincoln Rhyme series. Recruited to help the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs manage to track down a cargo ship headed for New York City carrying two dozen illegal Chinese immigrants, as well as the notorious human smuggler and killer known as “the Ghost.” But when the Ghost’s capture goes disastrously wrong, Lincoln and Amelia find themselves in a race to track him down before he can find and murder the two surviving families from the ship, who have vanished into the labyrinth of New York City’s Chinese community. As Rhyme struggles to locate the families, aided by a quirky policeman from mainland China, Sachs finds herself forming a connection with one of the immigrants that may affect her relationship with her partner and lover.

SOON TO BE A MAJOR TELEVISION EVENT FROM NBC, STARRING RUSSELL HORNSBY, ARIELLE KEBBEL, AND MICHAEL IMPERIOLI. From New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver—Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs must track a brilliant illusionist and escape artist whose masterful magician’s tricks are matched only by his ruthless murders. Forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme is called in to work the high-profile investigation of a killer who seemingly disappeared into thin air just as the NYPD closed in. As the homicidal illusionist baits him with grisly murders that grow more diabolical with each victim, Rhyme and his protégée, Amelia Sachs, must go behind the smoke and mirrors to prevent a horrific act of vengeance that could become the greatest vanishing act of all…

FEATURES A BRAND-NEW JACK REACHER STORY: This crime fiction anthology includes 17 new short stories from bestselling authors Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, and others! “Intellectually outstanding.” —New York Journal of Books Open the files on an anthology of 17 new crime stories to probe the brutal and complex hearts of criminals—and unravel the strangest of mysteries. Watch as a secretive group of intelligence community officers trace Jack Reacher through Heathrow in Lee Child's “Smile”. In Mary Hoffman's “Fallen Woman”, a journalist on the trail of a secretive drug lord gets caught up in the violent suicide of a young woman in Siena. And in Jeffery Deaver’s “Connecting the Dots”, detectives follow the trail of clues in the brutal killing of a homeless man, wherever it may lead . . . Invisible Blood is a gripping collection exploring the compulsions of the criminal mind. Contributors: Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Denise Mina, R.J. Ellory, Christopher Fowler, Stella Duffy, Ken Bruen, Lauren Henderson, James Grady, Jason Starr, Mary Hoffman, Cathi Unsworth, Bill Beverly, Lavie Tidhar, Johana Gustawsson, A K Benedict, John Harvey

Ein packendes literarisches Länderporträt Spannende Geschichten herausragender Autor/innen Ein abenteuerlicher Roadtrip quer durch die USA »Eine bessere Kurzgeschichtensammlung ist schwer zu finden – egal in welchem Genre.« Publishers Weekly Von Küste zu Küste: 14 herausragende Autorinnen und Autoren – von den Superstars der Szene bis zu literarischen Geheimtipps – nehmen Sie mit auf eine abenteuerliche Reise quer durch die USA. Vom brodelnden New York und den dicht besiedelten Städten der Ostküste über die Berge und Städte des Landesinneren bis zu den mythendurchdrungenen und hitzeflimmernden Metropolen der Westküste. Starke Literatur, die berührend und spannend von den Schattenseiten des amerikanischen Traums erzählt. Von einer bunt schillernden Gegenwart voller ungewöhnlicher Milieus abseits der üblichen Touristenpfade. Von Tagträumern, Zockern, Kriegsveteranen, Aussteigern, Billigjobbern, korrupten Polizisten, Trickbetrügern, Drogenhändlern, Privatdetektiven und ganz normalen Menschen, die in Situationen geraten, die sie nicht mehr kontrollieren können. 14 kraftvolle, dichte Geschichten mit ungewöhnlichen Settings und Figuren – so abwechslungsreich und aufregend wie die USA selbst. Die Reihe: »USA Noir« ist nach »Berlin Noir« und »Paris Noir« der dritte Teil einer Reihe internationaler Noir-Anthologien mit exklusiv geschriebenen Originalgeschichten. Jede Story spielt in einem anderen Viertel einer Stadt oder einer anderen Gegend eines Landes. Es sind packende literarische Städte- und Länderporträts mit ungewöhnlichen, breit gefächerten Einblicken. Weitere Teile sind geplant. »Das Konzept der Noir-Reihe überzeugt.« TIPP Berlin

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs return to New York City to investigate a triple murder and confront a killer terrorizing couples at their happiest--and most vulnerable in this explosive New York Times bestseller. In the early hours of a quiet, weekend morning in Manhattan's Diamond District, a brutal triple murder shocks the city. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs quickly take the case. Curiously, the killer has left behind a half-million dollars' worth of gems at the murder scene, a jewelry store on 47th street. As more crimes follow, it becomes clear that the killer's target is not gems, but engaged couples themselves. The Promisor vows to take the lives of men and women during their most precious moments--midway through the purchase of an engagement ring, after a meeting with a wedding planner, trying on the perfect gown for a day that will never come. The Promisor arrives silently, armed with knife or gun, and a time of bliss is transformed, in an instant, to one of horror. Soon the Promiser makes a dangerous mistake: leaving behind an innocent witness, Vimal Lahori, a talented young diamond cutter, who can help Rhyme and Sachs blow the lid off the case. They must track down Vimal before the killer can correct his fatal error. Then disaster strikes, threatening to tear apart the very fabric of the city--and providing the perfect cover for the killer to slip through the cracks.

It was a "million-dollar bullet," a sniper shot delivered from over a mile away. Its victim was no ordinary mark: he was a United States citizen, targeted by the United States government, and assassinated in the Bahamas. The nation's most renowned investigator and forensics expert, Lincoln Rhyme, is drafted to investigate. While his partner, Amelia Sachs, traces the victim's steps in Manhattan, Rhyme leaves the city to pursue the sniper himself. As details of the case start to emerge, the pair discovers that not all is what it seems. When a deadly, knife-wielding assassin begins systematically eliminating all evidence--including the witnesses--Lincoln's investigation turns into a chilling battle of wits against a cold-blooded killer.

From the New York Times best-selling author of the Lincoln Rhyme series, a short story about Lincoln Rhyme solving a mysterious plane crash with no forensic evidence. A small jet with only one pilot onboard crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. Local authorities are unsure whether the cause of the crash is a bomb or a violent storm. The case seems like it will be an easy one to solve for former NYPD Homicide Detective Lincoln Rhyme to solve. The evidence is inside the cockpit but there is one problem. The wreckage sits at the bottom of the Puerto Rican Trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean that stretches to twenty-eight thousand feet. The plane can't be raised. And there's no way to get to where the evidence lies. "Where the Evidence Lies" by Jeffery Deaver is one of 20 short stories within Mulholland Books's Strand Originals series, featuring thrilling stories by the biggest names in mystery from the Strand Magazine archives. View the full series list at mulhollandbooks.com and read them all!

Chiusa in una stanza, Gabriela aspetta da ore notizie della sua bambina. Finalmente, la porta di casa si apre: è l'uomo che ha sequestrato Sarah. E stringe in pugno una pistola. Comincia così, dalla fine, questo cult-thriller di Jeffery Deaver: un incubo di trenta ore per ritrovare la figlia rapita, un lungo flashback costellato di colpi di scena. Se vuole rivederla viva, Gabriela deve versare un riscatto di mezzo milione di dollari e recuperare un documento scottante, la misteriosa October List. Un thriller magistrale, un romanzo unico, che svela tutta la maestria di uno scrittore entrato nella storia del genere.

New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver returns with his next blockbuster thriller featuring forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme. Amelia Sachs is hot on the trail of a killer. She's chasing him through a department store in Brooklyn when an escalator malfunctions. The stairs give way, with one man horribly mangled by the gears. Sachs is forced to let her quarry escape as she jumps in to try to help save the victim. She and famed forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme soon learn, however, that the incident may not have been an accident at all, but the first in a series of intentional attacks. They find themselves up against one of their most formidable opponents ever: a brilliant killer who turns common products into murder weapons. As the body count threatens to grow, Sachs and Rhyme must race against the clock to unmask his identity--and discover his mission--before more people die.

Jeffery Deaver, "the master of manipulation" (Associated Press) and "the most creative, skilled and intriguing thriller writer in the world." (Daily Telegraph, UK) returns with the new, long-awaited, Kathryn Dance thriller.A tragedy occurs at a small concert venue on the Monterey Peninsula. Cries of "fire" are raised and, panicked, people run for the doors, only to find them blocked. A half dozen people die and others are seriously injured. But it's the panic and the stampede that killed; there was no fire. Kathryn Dance--a brilliant California Bureau of Investigation agent and body language expert--discovers that the stampede was caused intentionally and that the perpetrator, a man obsessed with turning people's own fears and greed into weapons, has more attacks planned. She and her team must race against the clock to find where he will strike next before more innocents die.

In this unprecedented collaboration, twenty-three of the world's favourite crime writers bring you original, co-written short stories featuring teir much loved series characters.

Jeffery Deaver, "the master of manipulation" (Associated Press) and "the most creative, skilled and intriguing thriller writer in the world." (Daily Telegraph, UK) returns with the new, long-awaited, Kathryn Dance thriller. A tragedy occurs at a small concert venue on the Monterey Peninsula. Cries of "fire" are raised and, panicked, people run for the doors, only to find them blocked. A half dozen people die and others are seriously injured. But it's the panic and the stampede that killed them; there was no fire. Kathryn Dance--a brilliant California Bureau of Investigation agent and body language expert--discovers that the stampede was caused intentionally and that the perpetrator, a man obsessed with turning people's own fears and greed into weapons, has more attacks planned. She and her team must race against the clock to find where he will strike next before more innocents die.

In this short story from the thrilling anthology FaceOff, bestselling authors Jeffery Deaver and John Sandford—along with their popular series characters Lincoln Rhyme and Lucas Davenport—team up for the first time ever. The last time Lucas Davenport traveled from his home in Minnesota to New York City, it was to help his friend, NYPD detective Lily Rothenburg, catch a serial killer who was terrorizing the streets of Manhattan. So it’s no surprise that Lily would ask him back to consult on another difficult case—this time, one she can’t trust to her fellow NYC cops. Teaming up with New York’s finest forensic mind, the irascible and brilliant Lincoln Rhyme, and Lincoln’s partner Amelia Sachs, they set out to investigate the deaths of four young women, all illegal Mexicans, all of whom seem to be connected to the drug trade. The problem is: the killings may not be cartel hits—they may be carried out by corrupt cops looking to get information, and then silence the source. Or, as the veteran investigators will soon discover, they could be dealing with a very different kind of killer—and to draw him out, Lily and Amelia will have to pose as bait. For more exciting pairs, check out all eleven short stories in FaceOff!

In his classic thriller The Bone Collector, Jeffery Deaver introduced readers to Lincoln Rhyme-the nation's most renowned investigator and forensic detective. Now, a new killer is on the loose: a criminal inspired by the Bone Collector. And Rhyme must untangle the twisted web of clues before the killer targets more victims-or Rhyme himself. The killer's methods are terrifying. He stalks the basements and underground passageways of New York City. He tattoos his victims' flesh with cryptic messages, using a tattoo gun loaded with poison, resulting in an agonizing, painful death. When a connection is made to the Bone Collector-the serial killer who terrorized New York more than a decade ago-Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are immediately drawn into the case. Rhyme, Sachs, and the NYPD must race against time to answer the many questions the investigation uncovers: Whom will the killer attack next? What is the message behind the victims' tattoos? Does the killer's own inking--a fanged centipede sporting a woman's face--hold any significance? And what is his ultimate mission? As time runs out, Rhyme discovers that the past has returned to haunt him in the most troubling way imaginable...

DON'T MISS THE NBC TELEVISION SERIES LINCOLN RHYME: HUNT FOR THE BONE COLLECTOR The first novel in the New York Times bestselling series featuring forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme—from the author of The Never Game. “Lightning-paced…a breakneck thrill ride.”—The Wall Street Journal Lincoln Rhyme was once a brilliant criminologist, a genius in the field of forensics—until an accident left him physically and emotionally shattered. But now a diabolical killer is challenging Rhyme to a terrifying and ingenious duel of wits. With police detective Amelia Sachs by his side, Rhyme must follow a labyrinth of clues that reaches back to a dark chapter in New York City’s past—and reach further into the darkness of the mind of a madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to the bone. Includes the short story “A Perfect Plan” and a chapter from The Midnight Lock.

In his classic thriller The Bone Collector, Jeffery Deaver introduced readers to Lincoln Rhyme-the nation's most renowned investigator and forensic detective. Now, a new killer is on the loose: a criminal inspired by the Bone Collector. And Rhyme must untangle the twisted web of clues before the killer targets more victims-or Rhyme himself. THE SKIN COLLECTOR The killer's methods are terrifying. He stalks the basements and underground passageways of New York City. He tattoos his victims' flesh with cryptic messages, using a tattoo gun loaded with poison, resulting in an agonizing, painful death. When a connection is made to the Bone Collector-the serial killer who terrorized New York more than a decade ago-Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are immediately drawn into the case. Rhyme, Sachs, and the NYPD must race against time to answer the many questions the investigation uncovers: Whom will the killer attack next? What is the message behind the victims' tattoos? Does the killer's own inking--a fanged centipede sporting a woman's face--hold any significance? And what is his ultimate mission? As time runs out, Rhyme discovers that the past has returned to haunt him in the most troubling way imaginable...

"Praying for revenge."..Murderer Michael Hrubek has escaped. He's finally free. And he'll show them all, especially the woman who put him away. She called him a killer. He'll show her what killing is all about. "Praying for salvation."..Lis Atcheson knows he's out there--the man who killed two of her students. He's haunted every sleepless night following her testimony. Now the nightmares are coming true. He's watching...and waiting...and he's going to take Lis to hell with him.

A bus full of children is taken hostage in this “screaming hit” (The New York Times Book Review) from the author of The Never Game and The Bone Collector. Along a windswept Kansas road, eight vulnerable girls and their helpless teachers are forced off a school bus and held hostage in an abandoned slaughterhouse. The madman who has them at gunpoint has a simple plan: One hostage an hour will die unless the demands are met. Called to the scene is Arthur Potter, the FBI’s best hostage negotiator. He has a plan. But so does one of the hostages—a beautiful teacher who’s willing to do anything to save the lives of her students. Now the clock is ticking as a chilling game of cat and mouse begins.