cover image The Shadow of Death: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

The Shadow of Death: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Philip E. Ginsburg. Scribner Book Company, $20 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-684-19405-9

In the mid-1980s, six women were brutally stabbed to death by a serial murderer, still not caught, who roamed the Connecticut River valley bordering New Hampshire and Vermont. In this chronicle of the crimes and the FBI investigations, Ginsburg ( Poisoned Blood ) reports that several other murdered women may have been victimized by the same person. He also describes the experiences of a young woman who survived a violent assault, likely by the same killer. Focusing on the skills, tactics and personalities of the police and psychologists sifting through case evidence and leads, Ginsburg writes with keen appreciation of the region's backroads, rest stops, landscape and pace of life. He insightfully details the thorough investigation of several suspects who were eventually cleared of suspicion. Photos not seen by PW. True Crime Book Club selection. (Jan.)