THE SCALP COLLECTOR

In Smith’s mystery novella, a Chicago detective must find the person behind three grisly murders before they strike again.

Det. Sammy Stone has seen the evils of humanity firsthand, but this case may be the most troubling he’s ever encountered. In three months, three women have been found dead, all of them bound and gagged, stabbed, and scalped: Abigail May in September, Barbara Tony in October, and now, in November, 21-year-old clothing salesperson Marci Levelle. They’re all attractive women with long, brown hair but seem to have little else in common. Sammy, along with his partner, Det. Will Getz, must comb through their lives to try and find the monster responsible. In all three cases, it appears the victims trusted their killer enough to invite them inside their homes without a fight. Lately, Sammy hasn’t been sleeping well; in his personal life, he’s had a series of failed relationships and is hoping his most recent one, with the mysterious Eve Blue, won’t follow that pattern. On a date, after Eve has told Sammy about herself, he accuses her of lying about her background. Soon afterward, Eve’s younger sister, Susan, seems to confirm that Eve “isn’t who she pretends to be.” Sammy, upset with another potential romantic failure, throws himself into his work; as he digs into Marci’s background, a revelation shocks and horrifies him. Over the course of this novella, Smith has crafted a careful and detailed mystery that’s full of intensity and excitement, and its setup pays off with a surprising ending. Readers may wish that the killer’s motivation were better described and rationalized, but most of the other characters feel realistic and believable. Sammy is depicted as a classic, familiar, and worn-down detective who’s seen too many terrible things and desperately needs to take a rest but whose mission still drives him forward. Overall, it’s a fine mystery with twists that will keep the reader guessing.

A brief but thrilling whodunit that doesn’t disappoint.