Luck of the Draw Book

When Detective Deke Durgess finds himself at the scene of a brutal murder in Lower Manhattan, he has no idea that it’s just the beginning of the most prolific murder spree in New York City history, one where entire families will be wiped out by a vicious killer dubbed The Daily Killer.

The murders are being meticulously committed, with no forensic evidence left behind except for the killer’s callous calling card, a short note left on the body of the victim. The mayor and police commissioner are coming down hard on Deke to make progress, but Deke and his team of detectives and FBI agents are at a standstill until a series of events, and one misstep by the killer, leads them toward cracking the code in the victim selection pro - cess. Believing he knows where the killer will strike next, Deke sets up a sting operation, only to be slapped back down as the killer turns the tables on him, forcing the police department to take a good hard look at its own finest.

Anthony J. Cardieri’s first crime novel is an adrenaline-charged ride through the streets of New York.

Publishers Weekly

Strong stomachs are needed for Cardieri's below average debut, a serial-killer whodunit. A fiend known as the Daily Killer is terrorizing New York City during the Christmas season, committing multiple murders every day and in some cases wiping out entire families. At each crime scene he leaves the taunting message: “better luck next time.” The high-profile case consumes NYPD Det. Deke Durgess, exacerbating tensions with his wife about time spent away from his family. The story line follows a predictable path as the public, the politicians and the police brass all put increasing pressure on Durgess and his FBI partner, Kurt Joseph, to find the pattern that will enable them to anticipate the killer's next targets. Even CSI junkies may find the graphic details of the fatal shootings excessive, while the number of small children gunned down will turn off others. The revelation of the Daily Killer's identity won't surprise veteran genre readers. (Dec.)