Picked this book off my shelf not expecting to enjoy this so much. I thought that it would be the usual serial killer crime thriller which I find myself reading lately and feeling very disheartened by the time I reach the end.

Tim Hess is a retired police officer recently diagnosed with lung cancer. He is brought back to the force as a consultant to try to solve the case of a serial killer known as “The Purse Snatcher”. 

The killer has kidnapped several young women from shopping mall car parks, and the only remains are their entrails left in their purses in the woods.

He is partnered with Merci Rayburn, a young and ambitious cop who has recently filed a sexual harrassment suit against her previous partner. Merci is known on the force for being tough, and has made known her ambitions for promotion.

When another girl goes missing after the investigation begins, Tim and Merci must kick it up a gear and try to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Another un-put-downable book, the writing was excellent; really drew me into the story and the questioning and parallel stories of the sex offenders was very creepy. 

It brought a realism to the investigation and an insight into the minds of these men which was very disturbing.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of the genre. After reading a Patricia Cornwall serial killery book lately and being very disappointed with it, this has reassured me that there is still good crime fiction out there to be found.