P J Tracy, Want to Play

P J Tracy, Want to Play - I came across this book whilst travelling on business. Having finished my latest James Patterson "3rd Degree" on the train to Birmingham, I popped into the WH Smiths at the station for something to read on the 3hr home journey. With only a few minutes to spare I was attracted by the cover.

Imagine my surprise when I began what was to be one of the best books I had read this year. Yes, even better than the two James Pattersons.

The book starts with the slaying of an old couple in smalltown America which looks like a one-off act of retribution. But at the same time, in Minneapolis, detectives are trying to stop a sickeningly inventive serial killer striking again.

The murders in Minneapolis are replicating the killing in an online PC game "Serial Killer". There is something strange about the group of friends who make up company which has developed the game, especially Grace McBride, something in their past that Detective Magozzi is convinced has some bearing on the current killings.

The two investigations run simultaneously, with neither investigator aware of the other's case uUntil by pure chance they contact a Catholic school on the same day and the Mother Superior mentions the other one's call. This is when they realise that they are probably looking for the same person and join forces.

I won't go into too much detail about the plot or it will spoil it for anyone who intends to read the book. Needless to say, the many twists in the tale leaves you guessing to the end about who the killer is although the motive becomes clear as you read.

I found it difficult to put the book down and continued reading long after my journey ended until I had reached the final page. The preview of the next book "Live Bait" had me scouring the NET for a copy, which I now have but have not yet read.

The main characters, Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth, from "Want to Play", continue into this book as well as Grace McBride. I'll let you know how this goes after I've read it.