Best-selling author Woods (Dead in the Water) returns with his 19th novel and fifth Stone Barrington adventure. The Manhattan lawyer turned investigator faces an indictment for the murder of a woman he s just met. When other brutal murders quickly pile upAall women connected to him or his best friend, Dino Bacchetti of the 19th PrecinctAStone knows that one of a cop s worst fears has been realized: a con with a grudge is bent on vengeance. While trying to save the lives of the women he cares about, Stone struggles to track down the killer and head off a DA who s out to get him for murder. With sharply drawn characters, a plot that s satisfying to the last dirty deed, and a story that flows with the effortless grace attained only by a master, this seductive novel will have readers twitching with suspense. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [A Mystery Guild main selection and Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club featured alternate selection.]ARonnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucso.