Merciless - (Jessica Balzano & Kevin Byrne) by Richard Montanari (Paperback)

About the Book

Homicide detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne track a twisted killer inspired by the horrors of childhood bedtime stories, in this gripping thriller by the bestselling author of "The Rosary Girls."

Book Synopsis

On a frigid December night, Karen sits at the edge of Philadelphia's Schuylkill River, dressed in a flowing gown, like a visitor from the distant past. A beautiful and shining young woman, she gazes up at a bone-white winter moon like a fairy-tale princess frozen in time. At first glance, one might not even notice that she is dead, coated in a glistening patina of ice.

Homicide cops Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano take the lead on the case, uncovering a plethora of eerie clues-each more warped and spine-chilling than the last. Yet the identity of Karen's pitiless killer remains a mystery. Then the next victim is found upriver at an abandoned waterworks, posed with an unlikely object in her clasped hands. Struggling to link the victims and make sense of the madman's agenda, Byrne and Balzano follow his twisted trail, which stretches into a past of dark crimes forgotten by all but a few.

Now the past roars back into the present with a vengeance as the ingenious killer unleashes a torrent of rage upon the streets of Philadelphia. As Byrne and Balzano sift through suspects and clues, they unearth a shocking secret history: a legacy of malevolence and cold-blooded retribution dating back twenty years. And the farther they make their way up the body-strewn banks of the Schuylkill River, the closer they get to a villain from their worst nightmare, an evil as patient as it is merciless.

Lightning fast and razor sharp, this jolting thriller from acclaimed author Richard Montanari coils back in time to deliver a fiendish mystery, a shattering revelation, and one hell of a wild ride. Lock your doors and turn up the lights. Montanari's terrifying bedtime story will keep you up all night.

Review Quotes

Praise for Richard Montanari

The Skin Gods

"What makes The Skin Gods engrossing isn't just the sustained suspense but the adept rendering of the characters."
-Rocky Mountain News

"Perfect for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted thriller . . . bestselling Montanari has another hit on his hands."
-Booklist

The Rosary Girls

"Readers of this terrifying page-turner are in the hands of a master storyteller. Be prepared to stay up all night."
-James Ellroy

"Gripping . . . You begin The Rosary Girls out of curiosity but finish it out of compulsion."
-Cleveland Plain Dealer

About the Author

Richard Montanari is a novelist, screenwriter, and essayist. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and scores of other national and regional publications. He is the OLMA-winning author of the internationally acclaimed thrillers The Skin Gods, The Rosary Girls, Kiss of Evil, Deviant Way, and The Violet Hour. Visit the author's website at www.richardmontanari.com.