Killing the shadows

A killer is on the loose, blurring the line between fact and fiction. His prey are the writers of crime novels who have turned psychological profilers into the heroes of the nineties. But this killer is like no other. His bloodlust shatters all the conventional wisdom surrounding the motives and mechanics of how serial killers operate. And for one woman, the desperate hunt to uncover his identity becomes a matter of life and death. Fiona Cameron, academic psychologist, used to help the police track serial offenders. She vowed never to work again for the Met when they ignored her advice but, when her friend's fellow crime novelist is murdered, she is forced to respond.(Google Books) Psychologist Fiona Cameron uses state of the art computer programming to develop a serial profiling system, but not the typical sexual based type that dominates the field. The professor believes that other factors can also pinpoint a personality besides the sexual approach. She has helped the police solve several homicides though she is not always believed. Her lover, best selling author Kit Martin, informs Fiona that someone murdered a peer, using a modus operandi found in the deceased's novel. Other killings of authors using a page or two out of their books soon follow. Fiona working with the Toledo, Spain police struggles to put together a clear profile of the killer, but refuses to quit because she thinks Kit is on the murderer's short list. KILLING THE SHADOWS is an engaging serial killer investigative tale starring a wonderful lead character with a location that embellishes the plot. The enjoyable story line widens the common belief in profiling with a believable technique that is also quite frightening with what Fiona can do with it. Though the reluctance by the police to accept a serial killer on the loose seems ridiculous with the body count, the who-done-it is fun and the heroine is as good a character as Kate Brannigan is. Val McDermid shows why she is an award-winning author with this strong story. (Allreaders) Rich in atmosphere, Val McDermid's Killing the Shadows uses the backdrops of city and country to create an air of threatening menace, culminating in a tense confrontation between hunter and hunted, a confrontation that can have only one outcome.A killer is on the loose, blurring the line between fact and fiction. His prey - the writers of crime novels who have turned psychological profilers into the heroes of the nineties. But this killer is like no other. His bloodlust shatters all the conventional wisdom surrounding the motives and mechanics of how serial killers operate. And for one woman, the desperate hunt to uncover his identity becomes a matter of life and death. Professor Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses computer technology to help police forces track serial offenders. She used to help the Met, but vowed never to work for them again when they went against her advice and subsequently botched an investigation. Still smarting from the experience, she's working a case in Toledo when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered. It's not her case, but Fiona can't help taking an interest. When the killer strikes again Fiona finds herself caught in a race against time - not only to save a life but also to find redemption, both personal and professional. "A killer is on the loose, blurring the line between fact and fiction. His prey - the writers of crime novels who have turned psychological profilers into the heroes of our times. But this killer is like no other. His bloodlust shatters all the conventional wisdom surrounding the motives and mechanics of how serial killers operate. And for one woman, the desperate hunt to uncover his identity becomes a matter of life and death.". "Professor Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses computer technology to track serial offenders. She used to help the police, but vowed never to work with them again when they went against her advice and subsequently botched an investigation. Still smarting from the experience, she's working a case in Spain when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered. It's not her case, but Fiona can't help taking an interest. When the killer strikes again Fiona finds herself caught in a race against time - not only to save a life but also to find redemption, both personal and professional."--BOOK JACKET. Psychology professor and London police consultant Fiona Cameron investigates the murder of authors of popular thrillers about serial killers