Description
<p>Terrified California residents face the shocking dilemma of yet another serial killer roaming freely in their neighborhoods. However, this time it is an evolving serial killer anomaly that relentlessly searches for, hunts down, and ingeniously traps his victims before unleashing his fiery rage. Always two steps ahead of the cops and fire investigators, the killer hones in on the next sinful target leaving a trail of bones and ashes behind as evidence. It rocks the criminal justice system to the core as a string of arson murders hits inside their turf.</p><p>Vigilante detective Emily Stone hunts serial killers and child abductors, covertly and under the law enforcement radar, with her intrinsic skills of criminal profiling and forensic investigation. With Stone’s toughest case yet, the arson serial killer immediately crosses her radar and sends her into the dark territory of a lethal pyromaniac’s mind – to the point of no return.</p><p>While following the clues of the relentless firebomber, Stone grabs the attention of a government anti-terrorist organization called GATE that oversees all law enforcement cases across the U.S., which now focuses their sights on her proven abilities. They have very specific plans for her, whether she likes it or not.</p><p>Everything teeters on the edge of reality, as Stone must battle for her life between a hired assassin and an arson serial killer. Lines are drawn on both sides of the law. Friendships and lovers are tested.</p>
Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Clever, Entertaining Crime Novel, February 20, 2009<br />By Brian Donovan (Huntington, NY)<br /><br />Readers
who love crime fiction shouldn't miss this debut by a talented newcomer
to the genre. Tobias's protagonist isn't the shrewd, sardonic,
brilliant sleuth we've met in so many other crime novels. Bill
O'Halleran is a good-hearted but only marginally competent cop on a
three-person police force in rural Wisconsin. Ambition and idealism
don't figure much in his worldview. For Bill, a big case is breaking up
a drunken marital dispute at the local trailer park. He winds up
working with a federal wildlife agent, Rhoda Deerwalker, on three cases
of sophisticated criminality that seem far beyond their talents. Rhoda,
a Chippewa Indian, has scientific expertise and a yen to improve the
world but little investigative experience. How will this unlikely pair
bring down international smugglers, casino racketeers, computer hackers
and terrorists? And can their rocky romance have any future? Tobias
steers the reader expertly through this eventful and satisfying story.
