In the riveting third installment of the Mancuso-O’Brian murder mystery series, prepare for an intensely personal case that will captivate and enthrall, Dr. Watson.

Meticulous NYPD cop-turned-private eye Joey Mancuso is summoned to assist the Midtown South precinct in unraveling a harrowing string of savage murders targeting young professional women. These chilling acts of violence echo the haunting words of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, who once proclaimed that murder is not driven by lust or violence, but by possession—a notion that now haunts the NYPD as three perplexing strangulation cases leave the midtown unit at a loss.

Initially, case number one appears to be a tragic outcome of an evening entangled in unconventional desires gone awry. However, when the second and third victims emerge, their bodies bearing the disturbing mark of a cross carved into their breasts, New York's finest recognize the telltale signs of a serial killer at large. The timing couldn't be more critical to enlist the aid of the wry Private Investigator Joey Mancuso and his brother, Father Dominic O’Brian. As Joey desperately grasps at straws and pieces together a psychological profile of the killer, his FBI agent girlfriend provides crucial insights. Why the macabre carving of the crucifix? And why are all the murders strikingly close to the NYPD's Midtown South Precinct?

The deeper Joey delves, the more he realizes that his victims are not merely casualties of calculated sex crimes, but targets of a narcissistic psychopath driven by an unknown agenda—one that may have ties to the precinct itself. With the support of his former partner, the audacious and elegant Detective Lucy Roberts, as well as the unwavering wisdom and guidance of Father O’Brian, Joey and his unconventional team of investigators race against the relentless ticking of the clock. From their new headquarters nestled behind the walls of Captain O’Brian’s Irish Pub, they are determined to apprehend the killer before he strikes again—because it's only a matter of time before he shatters the sanctity of their own homes.

Author Owen Parr skillfully channels the spirit of Holmes and Watson, adorning this book with all the enigmatic and adrenaline-pumping elements of a head-scratching puzzle. Enthusiasts of Holmes will relish the homage, while fans of gritty police procedurals by literary giants such as Raymond Chandler, Joseph Wambaugh, Lawrence Block, and Rex Stout will devour this series with equal fervor. Likewise, admirers of no-nonsense legal procedural protagonists, à la Dennis Carstens' Marc Kadella and Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason, will find themselves immersed in this gripping tale of suspense.