In this tour de force of psychological suspense, bestselling author Lisa Black draws from her experience as a forensic investigator to create two of the most fascinating characters in crime fiction: a killer with a unique sense of justice and a woman in a lifelong relationship with death… That Darkness As a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department, Maggie Gardiner has seen her share of Jane Does. The latest is an unidentified female in her early teens, discovered in a local cemetery. More shocking than the girl's injuries--for Maggie at least--is the fact that no one has reported her missing. She and the detectives assigned to the case (including her cop ex-husband) are determined to follow every lead, run down every scrap of evidence. But the monster they seek is watching every move, closer to them than they could possibly imagine. Jack Renner is a killer. He doesn't murder because he enjoys it, or because he believes himself omnipotent, or for any reason other than to make the world a safer place. When he follows the trail of this Jane Doe to a locked room in a small apartment where eighteen teenaged girls are anything but safe, he knows something must be done. But his pursuit of their captor takes an unexpected turn. Maggie Gardiner finds another body waiting for her in the autopsy room--and a host of questions that will challenge everything she believes about justice, morality, and the true nature of evil … Praise For Lisa Black and her bestselling novels "Lisa Black writes with immediacy and unmatched authenticity." --Jeff Lindsay, New York Times bestselling author of the DEXTER series "In Black's skillful hands, you're in for a surprise…a gifted storyteller." --Ridley Pearson "A must-read for fans of Cornwell and Grafton." --Booklist "Black, who is a forensic scientist, certainly knows her field." --Publishers Weekly "Quite simply, one of the best storytellers around." --Tess Gerritsen "Highly entertaining…Fans of forensic thrillers will look forward to seeing more." --Library Journal "Pulse-pounding adventure…devilishly clever." --Mystery Scene "Lisa Black heightens the suspense." --South Florida Sun-Sentinel