Finally a serial killer novel that is more than what the genre implies. London's latest killer is dubbed "The Burning Man" from the way he torches his victims with gasoline. He has murdered four young females, but the circumstances surrounding victim number five, Rebecca Haworth, are different and police suspect a copycat killing. Detective constable Maeve Kerrigan is assigned to probe into Rebecca's background while the rest of the force continues the hunt for the Burning Man. Kerrigan's top suspect is Rebecca's former lover who is now making overtures to Louise North, one of Rebecca's closest friends. Kerrigan fears that Louise may be the next victim.

There are no stereotypical, cardboard characters here. Each of the three women involved, Kerrigan, Rebecca, and Louise, ring true and hold our interest. The contrast in the lives of vivacious Rebecca and drab Louise are beautifully delineated. What could have been just another serial-killer-on-the-loose novel turns into a suspenseful probe into the death of Rebecca and an in-depth character study of two very different women.

The author expertly juggles both murder investigations, juxtaposing the massive team efforts of finding the Burning Man with the solo efforts of Kerrigan unraveling Rebecca's murder. Although the hunt for the serial killer is of top priority to the police, the plot that grabs our attention and keeps it is Kerrigan's search for Rebecca's murderer.

Experienced mystery fans may suspect the identity of the killer early on, but the author scatters enough red herrings along the way to keep readers off balance and unsure but turning pages.