Signature Kill: A Frank Behr Novel

In Levien’s solid fourth Frank Behr novel (after 2011’s Thirteen Million Dollar Pop), the Indianapolis, Ind., PI can’t resist going after the $100,000 reward offered by widow Kerry Gibbons for finding her grown daughter, Kendra, whose disappearance has been advertised on billboards. Behr, a former cop, chases down routine leads without much to show for it. He later connects with Indianapolis police detective Gary Breslau, who’s investigating the murder and dismemberment of an unidentified young woman. Digging through case files and getting some help from a profiler and a crime-scene photographer, Behr finds a startling number of similar dismemberment crimes. Kendra fits the mold of those victims. While Behr hunts the sadistic killer, the killer continues to stalk, torture, and dismember more women. Behr sets a trap that only serves to anger the fiend. Behr is a complex and compelling sleuth, though readers should be prepared for some gruesome murder scenes. [em]Agent: David Gernert, Gernert Agency. (Mar.) [/em]