Mister X-John Lutz

Mister X
John Lutz
Pinnacle, Oct 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780786020263

Five years ago in Manhattan, the serial killer dubbed by the media as the Carver murdered five women. He carved an X on their chest, cut off their nipples before slitting the victim’s throat. Tiffany Keller was his last fatality.

Frank Quinn never worked the Carver case because he was hospitalized from an on the job injury on another investigation. He was forced to retire so started a private detective agency with Pearl Kasner and Larry Fedderman. Chrissie Keller hires them to find the Carver so she can bring closure to herself by obtaining justice for her late twin sister. A recent lottery winner she pays a healthy retainer before disappearing. The three sleuths pursue leads, which comes to the attention of the Carver, and starts a new killing spree. The case takes several odd twists but the strangest spin occurs when Tiffany’s mother arrives at the office insisting their client Chrissie is not her daughter. The detectives want to know who hired them, but have no time to find out as the Carver is escalating the kill rate of women of a certain type.

This private investigative thriller is filled with unexpected turns as John Lutz takes his fans on a wild roller coaster as nothing is quire like it seems. Readers will be hooked from the moment Chrissie enters the agency claiming to be Tiffany. She uses shock value so the private detectives will be interested in taking her case. That is only one of the superb spins as Mister X is a terrific mystery that will baffle the audience as much as the three sleuths.

Harriet Klausner