Two years after the brutal murder of his fiancée where the killer was never caught, probation officer Joe Trumble has finally decided to start socializing again. His blind date with Marlene goes much better than he thought it would, and he has hope that he might actually be able to rejoin the regular world. When she's found strangled to death later, Joe is dumbfounded. The local detectives start looking at Joe as their main suspect when two more women he's met are murdered. What's going on?

Joe lives in a drab apartment above a rundown boxing gym in Kingston, N.Y., where he works out to stay in shape. The only people he associates with are connected to his job as a juvenile probation officer or at the gym. Is someone targeting him for some reason? When it appears the detectives are not going to look any further than him as the murderer, Joe figures he better start investigating on his own to clear his name and end this nightmare. As he searches for the killer, Joe realizes he's facing a psychopath who'll do anything to destroy him -- and the resulting climax is shocking.

Known for his exceptional Alex McKnight series, Hamilton's first stand-alone crime thriller is exciting and suspenseful. His writing is atmospheric to the point that you have a strong sense of place and a connection to the characters.