Precious Blood

Forensic pathologist Edward Jenner hunts a serial killer on the streets of New York, just days after the 9/11 attacks. Author Jonathan Hayes combines the wit of Patricia Cornwell, the action in "CSI," and the clip of Kathy Reichs, in his gripping debut thriller.

New York City medical examiner Edward Jenner thought he'd gotten out, turning his back on forensics--and life--after the nightmare of September 11. But when a young student is found murdered, her mutilated body hanging on the wall of an East Village apartment, Jenner is forced out of retirement. One look at the victim and Jenner is sure there's a serial killer on the loose--a hunch confirmed when he uncovers a second horrific murder. And when a friend asks him to look after a beautiful girl threatened by the killer, Jenner can't refuse.

Dragged back onto the dark streets of New York City, Jenner is pushed to the limits of his physical endurance, pitting his sharpest intuitions against the elusive maneuverings of a psychopath. He's getting within inches of the answer, but the clock is ticking and the killer is just too fast--ten steps ahead of the police, two steps ahead of Jenner, and always just out of reach.

As the killings continue, Jenner's desperate chase brings him ever closer to the man behind the grisliest murders he's ever seen--and only one of them can survive.

This is real-world forensic investigation, where fingerprints lead nowhere, DNA doesn't help, and serial killers aren't always caught in the nick of time. . . .