In Compulsion, one of the world's most popular authors returns with the twenty-second entry in the Alex Delaware series, a chilling tale about a
serial killer with an irresistible impulse to perform irrational acts.
When a young woman, Katrina Shonsky, disappears and a bloodstain is found in a stolen sedan, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis of the Los Angeles Police Department and his close friend and associate, psychological consultant Dr. Alex Delaware, investigate a case that turns out to be the brutal handiwork of a "shape-shifting" psychopath.
Paradoxically, a blatant oxymoron describes the killer's modus operandi: "evil altruism." With his rational side in control, he is a "do-gooder" whom everyone trusts and admires. Beware, however, his compulsive fascination with the macabre.
From the stately mansions in the hills above L.A. to the seamy haunts of the city's slums, Milo and Alex patiently and persistently gather information that points to other horrific crimes.
Early in this police procedural, it becomes apparent that the killer is a transvestite with thespian pretensions and a twisted sense of irony. If the world is a stage, he seeks to make it a bloody stage. We learn also that it's not prudent to attempt to stare down a cross-dresser or laugh at a psychopath.
Filled with fascinating characters, convoluted plot twists, and witty dialogue, Kellerman's latest entry will surely delight his many fans. As usual, Dr. Delaware brings his "shrink's deft touch" in theorizing a psychological profile of the killer.
No comments:
Post a Comment