Synopses & Reviews
In Richard Montanari's chilling new suspense novel, a sealed-off network of secret passages connects all of Philadelphia to the killer hidden within.Luther Wade grew up in Cold River, a warehouse for the criminally insane. Two decades ago the hospital closed it doors forever, but Luther never left. He wanders the catacombs beneath the city, channeling the violent dreams of Eduard Kross, Europe's most prolific serial killer of the 20th century.
A two-year-old girl is found wandering the streets of Philadelphia in the middle of the night by detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano. She does not speak, but she may hold the key to solving a string of murders committed in and around Priory Park.
As the detectives investigate, more bodies are found at Priory Park, and they're drawn closer and closer to the doors of Luther's devious maze and the dark secrets of Cold River.
Review
PRAISE FOR RICHARD MONTANARI:
"Full of surprises and dark shadows" --Booklist
Review
"Plot-driven and compelling with hints of horror and parapsychology, this thriller is less of a whodunit and more of an exploration of character and motive. . . . Adventurous crime fiction and thriller readers and fans [of] Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter novels should enjoy." --Library Journal
Review
"Richard Montanari's writing is both terrifying and lyrical, a killer combination that makes him a true stand-out in the crowded thriller market. A master storyteller at his very best." --Tess Gerritsen
Review
"A master storyteller. Be prepared to stay up all night." --James Ellroy
Review
"Montanari weaves a mesmerizing tale." --Lisa Gardner
Synopsis
For one hundred years, the infamous Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry was known as a warehouse for the criminally insane. With its 58 buildings, and labyrinthine network of catacombs beneath, it once housed 6500 patients. In the 1990s it closed its doors forever, dispersing patients to other state hospitals. But Luther Wade never left, who now roams the catacombs beneath the city, observing the residents of Northeast Philadelphia from the miles of tunnels underneath their homes.
On New Year's Eve a wealthy businessman man is found brutally murdered in the basement of his Parkwood mansion. Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano get the case. On the way back to the station, they discover a mute two-year-old girl wandering the streets. She carries with her a small plastic purse with a key piece of evidence linked to the unsolved murder of a world renown psychiatrist.
About the Author
Richard Montanari is the Sunday Times top ten bestselling author of The Echo Man, The Devil's Garden, Play Dead, The Rosary Girls, The Skin Gods and Broken Angels, as well as the internationally acclaimed thrillers Kiss of Evil, Don't Look Now, and The Violet Hour. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio. To find out more about Richard Montanari visit his website at www.richardmontanari.com.