Synopses & Reviews
A womans corpse is discovered in a meadow. A strange combination of letters and numbers has been tattooed on the soles of her feet. Detective inspector Beatrice Kaspary from the local murder squad quickly identifies the digits as map coordinates. These lead to a series of gruesome discoveries as she and her colleague Florin Wenninger embark on a bloody trail - a modern-day scavenger hunt using GPS navigation devices to locate hidden caches. The "owner" of these unofficial, unpublished geocaches is a highly calculating and elusive fiend who leaves his victims body-parts sealed in plastic bags, complete with riddles that culminate in a five-stage plot. Kaspary herself becomes an unwilling pawn in the perpetrators game of cat and mouse as she risks all to uncover the motives behind the murderers actions. Five is definitely not a book for the faint-hearted, but it delivers great suspense, unexpected plot twists, and multi-dimensional characters.
Review
“Ursula Archer takes you on a terrifying journey. This is a superior psychological thriller with twists at every level.” - Karin Slaughter
"A deliciously dark and terrifying cat-and-mouse thriller you won't be able to put down until the last page is read. Haunting."—Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Heat and Cold Snap"Intriguing and gripping, I was hooked from the start and shocked by the end. A believable hero and a story cleverly told. I loved Five."—Neil White, author of Next to Die
"A riveting mystery...The suspense builds until the shocking climax."—Publishers Weekly
"[a] fast-paced thriller...Sure to appeal to Stieg Larsson fans."—Booklist
"well-constructed ...an inventive plot."—Kirkus Review
"Beatrice is a refreshing protagonist who isnt afraid to take chances... Archers very effective procedural, with some clever twists (and gruesome crimes), also explores the intriguingly odd world of geocaching, and those who inhabit it. While some readers may have things figured out before the end, the journey is well worth it."—Library Journal
"[Five is] definitely not a book for the faint-hearted, but it delivers great suspense, unexpected plot twists, and multi-dimensional characters."—Mystery Tribune
"Intriguing...this unusual story will kee you guessing and your heart pounding."—RT Book Reviews
"This brisk German police procedural is anchored by a fully developed strong cast of law enforcement officials and murder victims, but the freshness comes from the geocaching clues. Five is a strong serial killer cat and mouse hunt."—Midwest Book Review"...a hugely entertaining hunt as gutsy Austrian detective Beatrice Kaspary is pitted against a very creepy killer. Compulsively readable."—The Sunday Mirror (UK)."
About the Author
URSULA ARCHER is a science journalist and an award-winning author of YA and children's books. Five is her first adult mystery. She lives in Vienna, Austria, with her family.