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As he enters the victim's apartment building, thirty-two-year-old District of Columbia detective John Carnes knows that this case will not be like the commonplace D.C. street murders that typically occupy his time. The tony, upper-Wisconsin-Avenue address, just across the street from the Washington Cathedral, is far removed from the drug-infested neighborhoods to the south and east that are more familiar to members of the homicide squad. Despite the comment of the uniform cop on the scene that It is pretty nasty, the detective is struck by the brutality of the murder. In reconstructing the victim's personal life, Carnes discovers that she was involved in a long-term relationship with her boss, an influential Washington attorney. Then another young, collegiate type, career woman is found brutally murdered. Similarities in the two crimes convince the detective that he is dealing with a sexually-twisted serial killer. Unfortunately, the truth is even more sinister. Joined by his partner, Pete Rodriguez, a cautious veteran nearing retirement, and Del Clinton, a streetwise cop out of the city's projects, Carnes's search for the killer leads him into his own past and forces him to confront some distressing truths about his almost debilitating sexual appetites and obsessions. A single parent of a seven-year-old daughter, Carnes tries desperately to prevent his compulsions from crippling his ability to be the good father she needs, from destroying a promising career, and wrecking what may be his first relationship with a woman who really means something to him. As the detective struggles to pull the investigation - and his life - together, the killer stalks the next victim on his list.Carnes must discover what links the killer and his victims before he strikes again - and this time, the target of his awful revenge could be someone Carnes truly loves.