There's the murdered woman whose outstanding physical characteristic is her breast implants. Which doesn't surprise anyone in a big bad city like Isola - until they find out that she's a nun . . .

There's the nagging problem of The Cookie Boy, a burglar with a taste for chocolate chip cookies.

And there's Detective Steve Carella's own, personal little quandry. The man who murdered Carella's father - and got away with it - is back in Isola. And he's decided that the best way to secure his future freedom is to murder Carella too.

The master of the police procedural is back, with another masterpiece of crime, punishment and brilliantly observed mayhem.