Anatomy Of Fear by Jonathan Santlofer

 

A serial killer is stalking the streets of New York.  He leaves his victims posed, a sketch of their murder left on the bodies.  Detective Terri Russo is the lead detective on the case and she knows she needs help.  This killer is different from the usual gang killings and domestic violence cases she gets where the killer is fairly easy to find.  She recruits someone from within the department she thinks can help.

Nate Rodriguez is the police sketch artist.  His portraits, done not by the computer but freehand by him as he interviews the victim, are so lifelike that it they are like arrows pointing directly to the criminals.  Nate isn't sure exactly how it works but as he talks to the victims, his mind is able to visualize what they are saying and he is able to draw a face more accurate than the victim can describe.  He has an art degree along with a criminal psychology one.  He went through the police academy but the street didn't suit him and he has been a sketch artist for most of his police career.  Can he and Terri stop this killer?

The author of this novel, Jonathan Santlofer, is also a talented artist.  Along with the text, he has illustrated the action with his sketches of what the killer and Nate both would draw.  These images help the reader see how Nate's work could be of value to the police effort.  This book won the Nero Wolfe Award for best novel and Santlofer's art is displayed in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum Of Art and The Art Institute Of Chicago.  The interplay of text and images give added dimension to the story as does the relationship that grows between Nate and Terri.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.