Mister X

Starred review from August 9, 2010
A page-turner to the nail-biting end, the fifth Frank Quinn investigation (after 2009's Urge to Kill) will leave readers breathless. After leaving the NYPD, Frank Quinn created his own investigation agency, joined by his former partner, Larry Fedderman, and his former lover, Pearl. Five years before, the notorious serial killer called the Carver claimed his last victim, Tiffany Keller. The cops have given up on catching the murderer, so Tiffany's twin, Chrissie, begs Quinn to reopen the case. Then Chrissie disappears, and the Carver starts killing again. Slimy police commissioner Harley Renz warns Quinn to back off of his investigation, but Quinn, Fedderman, and Pearl know they may be the only ones who can stop the killer. Misleading clues and dramatic suspense will keep readers pondering the intricacies of this twisty, creepy whodunit long after the last page is turned.

Starred review from October 1, 2010
Their throats are sliced. An X is carved into their torsos, among other mutilations. Frank Quinn is a retired NYPD homicide detective who specialized in serial killers, so hes not surprised when the identical twin of the last victim hires him to investigate. Police Chief Harley Renz, Quinns former and very ambitious partner, thinks Quinn and his associatesPearl Kasner and Larry Fedderman, also former detectiveswould make good additions to the task force charged with solving the crimes. Renz also assigns a renowned profiler to the case, the stunningly sexy and media-savvy Addie Price. The initial hurdle: Quinn must separate reality from fiction. His original client disappears; Quinn then learns shes not the victims twin sister. There are twins, but shes not one of them. Whats her angle? Oh, and the real twins were abused by their father, whos started a new life as a midwestern politician. Addie Prices background is fiction, and theres a mystery woman stalking the investigators. A lesser writer would lose readers in this ever-evolving plot with shifting identities and motives, but this is John Lutz, winner of multiple Edgar and Shamus awards. By the very satisfying conclusion, it all makes perfect sense. Lutz has produced another procedural masterpiece.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)