- Dead Last by James W. Hall Minotaur Books, 326 pages, $29.99.
A struggling television series is paid a terrifying compliment when a string of murders mimics the plot. The killer seems to be guided by a twisted rationale that the police have failed to figure out and the body count is adding up.
Perennial beach bum Thorn has lost his companion but when her obituary shows up at one of the murder scenes a local sheriff comes looking for a connection. Pulled from his mourning, Thorn is drawn into a hunt for a cold-blooded killer.
James W. Hall moves his reluctant hero away from his native Florida fishing spots and into the urban chaos of Miami in his latest novel. The big city will hold more than clues for Thorn as he learns of long-held secrets from his own past that are finally coming to light.
Hall moves the story at pace that could leave first time readers to this series looking for more background on the main characters but he still creates a top notch thriller.
