Thomas J Thorson Book order

A businessman’s body is found in a bathtub, surrounded by eerie props left by the killer, marking the start of a chilling investigation. Mal and Vinn, reluctantly recruited, delve into a twisted realm of puzzle-obsessed minds as they face a murderer who communicates through riddles. With each subsequent murder, they uncover a pattern linking future killers and victims, pushing them to act outside conventional law enforcement. As the stakes rise, they must confront the potential sacrifice of their careers or lives to find justice.

The narrative intertwines the lives of Rebecca and Leo, whose troubles escalate with the return of an ex-girlfriend and a menacing figure from Leo's past. As friends Mal and Vinn delve into separate investigations, they uncover a dangerous connection to the Roma community and a group of gypsy grifters. A hidden secret intensifies the threat against Leo, culminating in a race against time to prevent further tragedy. The tension builds towards a gripping confrontation where survival hangs in the balance.

Starting with only a cryptic message about an event from a century ago, written in the blood of the woman he loved, Malcom Winters races around Chicago piecing together increasingly baffling parts of the puzzle in an effort to solve the crime and gain his vengeance. Together with the help of a brilliant and beautiful science professor, a gruff chef who claims to be in witness protection for trying to assassinate Fidel Castro, and a cross-dressing businessman, he uncovers a bizarre murder spree and draws the attention of the killer to himself and those few people he holds dear.