Book 3 of the Vegas Shadows series
A deprived  serial killer is trying to get into the head of Detective Lazarus, but why.
There is a hierarchy of people that have reasons.
The white supremacist Phineas (Deadeye) Walsh.
Judge Hope Dawson, who is running for the Senate
Police Assistant Chief Harold Dubbs, a career desk jokey who has no courage and can’t stand up for himself.
All of these people, and many others have reason to take down Lazarus, but they also have reason to bring down each other. It’s a type of vicious circle that is spiralling around the detective.
His friend Piper Danes is inevitably caught up in his manic investigation, and along with helping him investigate, she is also trying to nurse him.
Still suffering from serious injuries sustained in a previous investigation. Lazarus is also going cold turkey from the lack of alcohol.
He wouldn’t class himself as an alcoholic, but he is a typical hard drinking cop, and with trauma damage to his liver, and the medications he is on he has to stop drinking, and its taking an effect.
His judgment is questioned and when the murders start to connect back to him Dubbs bans him from the investigation.
The trilogy of suspects are all connected, and all of them have reason to get to Lazarus.
So when his estranged daughter decides she wants to know her Dad, it just another worry for him, another distraction.
Distractions are something he can’t afford. This killer is different. He doesn’t make mistakes, he leaves subtle clues only Lazarus seems to be able to pick up on. He kills in a ruthless manner.
For fans of the series you might have expected me to mention Piper Danes a bit more. But to be honest, with the exception of a side story about her family, and the fact that she is nursing Lazarus, she doesn’t have much impact on this story.
If you haven’t read the previous two books, The Silent Watcher and The Night Collector, I would highly recommend reading those first.
This book would not read well as a standalone and relates back to both the previous ones.
My reviews are in the links below.
The Silent Watcher
https://nigeladamsbookworm.com/2024/12/01/the-silent-watcher-victor-methos/
The Night Collector
https://nigeladamsbookworm.com/2025/09/25/the-night-collector-victor-methos/
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