The Killing Hour

It's been several years since a serial killer plagued Georgia and baffled local law enforcement. The notorious Eco-killer operated only during intense heat waves and always abducted two victims at a time. Then the killer stopped. But it appears he's back, striking outside of Georgia in the very heart of the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia. When rookie agent Kimberly Quincy decides to take the case personally, turf wars and private rivalries heat up and threaten her career. Anna Fields reads with just the right blend of femininity and toughness, giving rounded personalities to Kimberly Quincy, as well as to supporting characters--Georgia Agent "Mac" McCormack; Kim's somber father, Pierce Quincy (who was featured in three prior Gardner novels); and even the quiet forensic linguist who aids them in their hunt for the killer. A wonderful pulse-pounding thriller from start to finish. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 30, 2003
A cold case grows hot again in Gardner's sixth high-octane page-turner, a romantic thriller that features rookie FBI agent Kimberly Quincy. Kimberly is the daughter of Pierce Quincy, former FBI profiler turned PI, last seen in The Next Accident. She's a tough, troubled young woman still recovering from the murders of her mother and sister six years earlier. During week nine of the FBI Academy's 16-week training program in Virginia, she discovers the body of a young woman who looks like her late sister. Since the corpse has been dumped on a secured Marine base, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service is in charge, but determined Kimberly soon takes a leave of absence so she can team up with Michael "Mac" McCormack, visiting Georgia Bureau of Investigations Special Agent, along with her father and his partner, Rainie Connor, to prevent another death. Mac receives taunting mail and cell phone messages ("planet dying... animals weeping... rivers screaming... can't you hear it? Heat kills") that lead him to suspect a serial eco-killer who last struck in Georgia three years earlier, leaving seven dead women and one survivor. Sparks fly between Kimberly and Mac as they rush to rescue the eco-killer's latest victim, Tina Krahn. Gardner offers riveting glimpses of Tina's struggle to survive in an environmentally hazardous locale. With tight plotting, an ear for forensic detail and a dash of romance, this is a truly satisfying sizzler in the tradition of Tess Gerritsen and Tami Hoag. Major ad/promo.