Pursuit - by Thomas Perry (Paperback)

About the Book

After 13 patrons in a Louisville restaurant are murdered, criminology professor Daniel Millikan profiles the murderer. When the investigation stalls, Millikan calls in Roy Prescott, a professional manhunter who uses methods beyond the scope of the law.

Book Synopsis

A private investigator becomes embroiled in a gruesome murder investigation, tracking a killer who will do anything to avoid capture--a "bona fide nail-biter" (The New York Times) from the award-winning author of The Butcher's Boy.

"Pursuit is relentless, filled with twists and turns, that rare page-turner that keeps one reading late into the night to finish."--The Boston Globe

WINNER OF THE GUMSHOE AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL

Thirteen bodies are found in a Louisville restaurant. When the police can find no suspect or motive, a victim's family seeks the services of the enigmatic and solitary specialist Roy Prescott, known for his ability to find people who don't want to be found. Working outside the law and willing to do what the police can't, Prescott hunts the killer, an elusive adversary who is as smart, as methodical, as deadly as he is. The only way to conduct this pursuit is to goad the killer into believing that he must kill Roy Prescott. It is a contest fought from one end of the country to the other, and both men understand that when it's over, only one of them will be alive.

Review Quotes

"Brilliant . . . a bona fide nail-biter. Thomas Perry's cerebral thrillers unfold methodically, in extremely sharp focus. His attention to detail is so intense that it generates its own brand of quiet suspense."--The New York Times

"Perry is the best suspense writer in the business. . . . Pursuit is relentless, filled with twists and turns, that rare page-turner that keeps one reading late into the night to finish."--The Boston Globe

"Once Prescott takes the job, the novel shifts into a gear so high that putting the book aside is no longer an option. . . . A bravura performance from one of the few crime writers who never lets you down."--Los Angeles Times

"Dazzling . . . Perry has devised a game board of infernal ingenuity."--The New York Times Book Review

"A compulsive page-turner . . . Pursuit is expertly crafted and features a climax guaranteed to set hearts racing."--The Denver Post

"A thriller that actually thrills."--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"This is simply the most compelling thriller, with some of the most absorbing characters and some of the most interesting story threads to cross my path in months. I recommend Pursuit without reservation."--St. Petersburg Times

"Taut and compelling . . . Perry continues his string of hit after hit with so-called thrillers that bookstores actually should shelve under literature. Which is the best? The Butcher's Boy and its sequel, Sleeping Dogs? The five novels of the Jane Whitefield series? The fact is, we've probably not yet seen his best, for he seems to get better and better. But for now, his latest, Pursuit, has got to go to the top of the list."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"In Pursuit, it will take about thirty-five pages for Prescott to flush out psychopath James Varney. It will take more than three hundred pages and countless hold-your-breath ambushes to try to catch him."--Baltimore Sun

"The book is briskly paced with great attention to detail--descriptions of crime scenes and the gathering of forensic evidence hit their marks. Perry leads his protagonists and readers on a roller-coaster ride through the steamy world of murderers and the people who try and catch them before they murder again."--The Miami Herald

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Thomas Perry won an Edgar Award for The Butcher's Boy, and Metzger's Dog was one of the New York Times's Notable Books of the Year. His other books include The Face-Changers, Shadow Woman, Dance for the Dead, and Vanishing Act. Thomas Perry died in 2025.