A Lincoln Rhyme Novel

When a New York City construction crane mysteriously collapses, causing mass destruction and killing several people, Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are on the case. A political group claims to be behind the sabotage and threatens another crane collapse in twenty-four hours, unless their demands are met. The clock is ticking. With New York in a panic, the stakes are higher than ever for Rhyme and his team to unravel the plot before the timer runs out and more cranes crash down, reducing the city and its people to rubble.

A serial killer in the making? Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are called upon to tackle a crime unlike any they’ve ever faced. An unknown subject is using his formidable skills to work his way into the lives—and hearts—of his victims, all with the goal of utterly destroying them psychologically and emotionally . . . for his pure pleasure. Rhyme recognizes the trademark sadism of a future serial killer, but the man has been meticulously careful—indeed, stopping just short of illegal behavior, ensuring that the criminalist’s forensic skills are useless against him.