In Chicago, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has a Special Crime Unit headed by Jeffrey Flanagan. The unit consists of 6 detectives but Flanagan can second any policeman within the county as needed. The unit handles all major crimes that other departments don't want or can't handle. With a series of crimes tied together by pictures of the Stations of the Cross, a Catholic ritual, the SCU steps in to identify and find this serial killer. Archbishop Kendall of Chicago has Father Stone assigned to the unit to explain the ritual and assist with interviews of priests.

A richly detailed account of the crime scenes of five residents, the search for the defining tie that would lead to a serial killer, and the introduction of Father Stone and how he became a working member of the SCU.

A police procedural with distinctive characters and a religious hook to the motive behind these unusual and connected sets of murders. Excellent read!

NOTE: This book sat dormant and forgotten in my kindle for 8 years. I wanted to name the series (the author didn't name it, but there are 6 books with the same characters that I see at a glance listed on Amazon). In order and name, classify, and tag it for my TBR, I read the first pages, but I was hooked and sat down to finish the story. ( )