This is the first in series featuring a Scottish crime unit led by Detective Chief Inspector Duncan Bone. As the story begins, DCI Bone is on leave from the Rural Crime Unit of (fictional) Kilwinnoch Police Station in central Scotland. He still suffers from PTSD after handling the “Peek-a-boo” serial killer case; as Bone was moving in to arrest the suspect, the latter set off an explosive device, killing himself and almost killing Bone in the process. But Bone’s marriage didn’t survive the trauma, and he doesn’t get to see his six-year-old son Michael as much as he would like.

The “Peek-a-boo” killer was targeting police, in the most gruesome fashion. Bone and his crew know they got the right man, but now there is a copycat killer going after the police, and taunting Bone about it as well. Detective Superintendent Roy Gallacher asks Bone to come back to work and head up the investigation.

Bone rejoins his partner, DI Rhona Walker, along with DI Mark Mullens, DS Sheila Baxter, and DC Will Harper, and they start chasing clues. They are somewhat hampered however when one of the suspects who happens to be important and powerful calls for an investigation against Bone and his tactics. Special Investigator Sarah Tennyson arrives from Edinburgh Central to harass Bone and and his team.

Evaluation: This is a face-paced and terrifying thriller full of twists and turns from the very first pages to the very end. It was quite entertaining, enough so to get me to order the next in the series right away. ( )