The Hundredth Man (Carson Ryder, Book 1)

A darkly compelling serial-killer novel introducing the next big name in psychological thrillers and, in Carson Ryder, a fascinating and complex protagonist set for many books to come. A headless male torso found in the sweating heat of an Alabama night is assumed to be that of a murdered prostitute, killed in a moment of passion. The Chief of Police would have it so, but Detective Carson Ryder sees something else: the deliberate placement of the remains, the lack of blood, the bizarre messages inked into the victim's flesh. Ryder has become a local celebrity after solving a series of brutal murders a year earlier, but his reputation is built on a terrible secret, stemming from his childhood - a secret he has kept from even his closest friend. Another torso; another, even stranger, message - and the victim this time is no prostitute. Chasing shadows while their boss relentlessly undercuts their progress, Carson and his partner begin to suspect that someone close to them is the killer's ultimate target. And their only hope of catching the murderer lies in apparently meaningless ramblings written on corpses ... and the advice of a twisted sociopath. Recalling Michael Connelly's taut storytelling and James Patterson's searing narrative twists, The Hundredth Man thunders to a stark and chilling revelation in a riveting psychological thriller instantly confirming the newcomer as a master of suspense.