Disturbance-Jan Burke

Disturbance
Jan Burke
Simon & Schuster, Jun 21 2011, $25.00
ISBN: 9781439152843

Sacramento reporter Aaron Mikelson calls his friend and former peer at the Las Piernas News Express Irene Kelly with the news that her worst nightmare serial killer Nick Parrish (see Bones) is walking after recovering from a spinal cord trauma. She is upset as it took her loving husband and a shrink to help her heal after her confrontation with Parrish and his original Moth groupie, both locked away in maximum security prisons. Kelly tries to warn her friend forensic anthropologist Ben Sheridan who lost part of a leg to Parrish. Ben and his roommate Ethan Shire arrive with their dogs.

Meanwhile, Kelly becomes the center again thanks to Parrish of a media feeding frenzy while the serial killer’s Moths threaten her bodily harm for what she did to their “god” and their increasing belief that his resurrection will be soon. The Moths expect to assist Parrish when he returns to confront Kelly. When the corpse of woman painted with moths all over her body is found in Kelly’s car, the reporter knows that even with her ruthless foe still incarcerated, she is back in hell as one of his disciples has begun the war.

This is an engaging thriller though the journalist does not have to do much investigating as the ruthless enemy brings the fight directly to her. Readers know early who Parrish’s most devoted and dangerous allies are which detracts from the tension. Still, with insight into the plight of printed newspapers and the stunning number of previously secret psychos like the Moths who have surfaced via the Internet, fans of the series will enjoy round two anticipating the face to face confrontation.

Harriet Klausner