Rave Reviews for John Lutz
“Lutz’s skill will keep you glued to this thick thriller.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on Night Kills
“Superb suspense…The kind of book that makes you check to see if all the doors and windows are locked.”
—Affaire de Coeur, on Night Kills
“Brilliant…a very scary and suspenseful read.”
—Booklist, on In for the Kill
“Enthralling…Shamus and Edgar award–winner Lutz gives us further proof of his enormous talent.”
—Publishers Weekly, on In for the Kill
“Since Lutz can deliver a hard-boiled P.I. novel or a bloody thriller with equal ease, it’s not a surprise to find him applying his skills to a police procedural in Chill of Night. But the ingenuity of the plot shows that Lutz is in rare form.”
—The New York Times Book Review, on Chill of Night
“Lutz keeps the suspense high…An ideal beach read.”
—Publishers Weekly, on Chill of Night
“A dazzling tour de force…compelling, absorbing…Lutz ranks with such vintage masters of big-city murder as Lawrence Block and the late Ed McBain.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on Chill of Night
“A great read! Lutz kept me in suspense right up to the end.”
—Midwest Book Review, on Chill of Night
“A tense, fast-moving novel, a plot-driven page-turner of the first order.”
—Book Page, on Fear the Night
“A shrewd and clever novel that delivers thrills as seen through totaly believable and convincing characters. John Lutz is one of the masters of the police novel. Highly recommended!”
—Ridley Pearson, on Fear the Night
“A twisted cat-and-mouse game…a fast-moving crime thriller…Lutz skillfully brings to life the sniper’s various victims.”
—Publishers Weekly, on Fear the Night
“Night Victims is compelling, suspenseful and—dare I say it?—creepy. John Lutz knows how to make you shiver.”
—Harlan Coben
“A heart-pounding roller-coaster of a tale, whose twists and turns are made all the more compelling by the complex, utterly real characters populating his world.”
—Jeffery Deaver, on Night Victims
“I’ve been a fan of John Lutz for years.”
—T. Jefferson Parker
“John Lutz is a major talent.”
—John Lescroart
“John Lutz knows how to ratchet up the terror with effective twists and a fast pace.”
—Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale), on Night Victims
“Compelling…a gritty psychological thriller.”
—Publishers Weekly, on The Night Watcher
“John Lutz is the new Lawrence Sanders.”
—Ed Gorman in Mystery Scene, on The Night Watcher
“SWF Seeks Same is a complex, riveting, and chilling portrayal of urban terror, as well as a wonderful novel of New York City. Echoes of Rosemary’s Baby, but this one’s scarier because it could happen.”
—Jonathan Kellerman
“John Lutz just keeps getting better and better.”
—Tony Hillerman, on SWF Seeks Same
“For a good scare and a well-paced story, Lutz delivers.”
—San Antonio Express News
“Lutz is among the best.”
—San Diego Union
“Lutz is rapidly bleeding critics dry of superlatives.”
—St. Louis Post Dispatch
“It’s easy to see why he’s won an Edgar and two Shamuses.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Likable protagonists in a complex thriller…Lutz always delivers the goods, and this is no exception.”
—Booklist, on Final Seconds
“Clever cat-and-mouse game.”
—Kirkus Reviews, on Final Seconds
ALSO BY JOHN LUTZ
Night Kills
In for the Kill
Chill of Night
Fear the Night
Darker Than Night
The Night Watcher
The Night Caller
Final Seconds (with David August)
The Ex
Available from Kensington Publishing Corp.
and Pinnacle Books
NIGHT VICTIMS
JOHN LUTZ
PINNACLE BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
For David Bauer
And in fond memory of
Ed and Betty Bauer
The spider’s touch, how exquisitely fine!
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line.
—Pope
Essay on Man
News fitting to the night,
Black, fearful, comfortless and horrible.
—Shakespeare
King John, Act V
Contents
Part One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30