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Fred Carver #8
Torch
In John Lutz's eighth mystery in the acclaimed series, disabled Florida P.I. Fred Carver takes the unusual case of a married woman, Donna Winship, who wants him to follow her - and her lover. Minutes after Carver accepts the job and a thousand-dollar retainer, Donna is struck by a speeding tractor trailer. Her death looks like suicide, but could it be murder?
MacGregor, the corrupt Del Moray police lieutenant, is happy to label Donna's sudden death a suicide and close the file, but Carver, out of professional pride and an irrational but haunting feeling of guilt, decides to pursue the deeper truth he senses behind her case.
When Donna's husband commits suicide and her lover disappears, it's clear something far more complex - and evil - than bizarre coincidence is at work. Carver soon finds himself in a maze of escort services and blackmail, and the strange things people do for love and money. But is murder part of the plan, or is death simply the penance of a guilty conscience?
When the game for Carver becomes one of seduction and a very dangerous attraction, he is forced to face his own vulnerability, and finds it just might lead to his own death.
With a palpable sense of place and characters that range from the wittily memorable to the nightmarishly chilling, John Lutz once again creates a superior mystery for his many fans.
MacGregor, the corrupt Del Moray police lieutenant, is happy to label Donna's sudden death a suicide and close the file, but Carver, out of professional pride and an irrational but haunting feeling of guilt, decides to pursue the deeper truth he senses behind her case.
When Donna's husband commits suicide and her lover disappears, it's clear something far more complex - and evil - than bizarre coincidence is at work. Carver soon finds himself in a maze of escort services and blackmail, and the strange things people do for love and money. But is murder part of the plan, or is death simply the penance of a guilty conscience?
When the game for Carver becomes one of seduction and a very dangerous attraction, he is forced to face his own vulnerability, and finds it just might lead to his own death.
With a palpable sense of place and characters that range from the wittily memorable to the nightmarishly chilling, John Lutz once again creates a superior mystery for his many fans.
- GenresMystery
290 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1994
18 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
John Lutz
234 books300 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.
His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.
Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.
John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.
His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.
Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 19, 2018
Easy Read
Fiction that is written in language that easily devours the story plot with characters developed and depicted in extensive detail which helps the growth of storyline. I enjoy Most of John Lutz work, especially the Night caller...a 5 Star book.
Fiction that is written in language that easily devours the story plot with characters developed and depicted in extensive detail which helps the growth of storyline. I enjoy Most of John Lutz work, especially the Night caller...a 5 Star book.
June 4, 2017
Read several of this author's series and found it to be very enjoyable. I would recommend this series.
Read
April 6, 2014Keeps you hooked til the very end every time. P.I. thriller/mystery.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews