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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Serial murder investigation with significant violence including crime scene details
Language
Some
Hard-boiled language throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief references to the sexual motivation behind the killings
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking typical of the series
Emotional Intensity
Some
Psychologically unsettling — the killer's motivation involves deeply disturbing beliefs
What this book is about
A serial killer is murdering Black women in Boston, leaving a red rose with each victim. Boston PD detective Martin Quirk brings Spenser in to help profile and catch the killer before he strikes again. Parker creates one of his darkest Spenser novels, with a psychologically unsettling villain and a case that tests everyone's limits.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
serial murder investigation
racially motivated killings
disturbing psychological profile of killer
Reader Verification
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