Thomas Perry’s novels of suspense have been celebrated for their “dazzling ingenuity” (The New York Times Book Review) and for writing that is “as sharp as a sushi knife” (Los Angeles Times). By turns horrifying and erotic, Perry’s new thriller takes us on a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that pits two women against each other: a beautiful serial killer and the detective who is determined to stop her. When the cousin of Los Angeles underworld figure Hugo Poole is found shot to death in his Portland, Oregon, home, police find nothing at the scene of the crime except several long strands of blond hair hinting that a second victim may have been involved. Hotel security tapes from the victim’s last vacation reveal an out-of-focus picture of a young blond woman entering and leaving his room. Could she also be a murder victim? Portland homicide detective Catherine Hobbes is determined to solve the case and locate the missing blonde, but her feelings, and the investigation, are complicated when Hugo hires private detective Joe Pitt to perform a parallel investigation. As the Joe and Catherine form an uneasy alliance, the murder count rises–and both realize that the pretty young woman in the security tapes is not a victim at all. As Catherine follows the evidence, she finds herself in a deadly contest with an unpredictable adversary capable of changing her appearance and identity at will. Catherine must use everything she knows, as a homicide detective and as a woman, to stop a murderer who kills on impulse and with ease, and who becomes more efficient and elusive with each crime. Thomas Perry, author of the Edgar Award?winning The Butcher's Boy , the five-volume Jane Whitefield series, and other best-selling novels, has taken typical elements of an ordinary crime thriller and given them an unusual, erotic twist. The New York Times compares Nightlife 's psychological impact to that of The Silence of the Lambs and Mystic River : we're not dealing with a stock killer but a rather ordinary young woman turned bad. Critics agree that Perry successfully delves deep inside the female psyche with chapters narrated from both Hobbes's and the murderer's perspectives. A little haphazard storytelling, with characters flitting in and out of chapters, confused some critics, but overall, Nightlife is a smart, engaging read. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. Perry, whose many thrillers have won numerous awards, including an Edgar for The Butcher's Boy (1982), returns with another nail-biter. The center of interest for Portland Homicide is a female serial killer, whom the reader sees in chapters devoted to her as a shape-shifter and a highly skilled manipulator of men and situations. The police catch on to the tip of this iceberg woman when the cousin of an L.A. Mob figure is found shot to death in his home in Portland--two blond hairs matching his girlfriend's are left at the scene. Portland homicide detective Catherine Hobbes uneasily accepts the help of an L.A. private eye known for both his expertise and his arrogance. This novel's intensity comes from the skillful way in which Perry lets readers in on the secrets of the serial killer: we see her change disguises and identities; we see her pick up and destroy men. We see more than the police and the private eye do, as they try to find the woman they suspect killed the Portland man, and as we see her leave that old identity far, far behind. Perry also offers a complex character in detective Catherine Hobbes as she races against the private eye to catch a protean killer. Connie Fletcher Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved PRAISE FOR THOMAS PERRY “Thomas Perry is truly an original.” –Jonathan Kellerman “The best thriller of the year. [Thomas Perry is] one of the most thoroughly satisfying writers around.” –Lawrence Block, about Vanishing Act “Dazzles like a house of mirrors.” –Martha Grimes, about Shadow Woman “As beautifully crafted as a good automatic weapon.” –Martin Cruz Smith, about Sleeping Dogs “A wild and terrific book.” –Carl Hiaasen, about Island Thomas Perry is the author of many critically acclaimed novels, including the Edgar Award—winning The Butcher’s Boy and its sequel, Sleeping Dogs, the five-volume Jane Whitefield series (Vanishing Act was chosen as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association), and the national bestsellers Death Benefits and Pursuit. Perry lives in Southern California with his wife and two daughters. Chapter 1 Tanya stood in front of the full-length mirror on the bedroom wall and brushed her hair. She watched the other girl, in another room, wearing the same new blue skirt and tank top, using her left hand instead of her right to brush the long blond hair to a shine. Tanya had always secretly relished the existence of the other pretty girl who lived in the other room beyond the glass, like a fish in an aquarium. She loved the who