"If there was a God, he would have stopped me." This is the note left in a shoebox by serial killer Galileo after killing more than 10 police, a little dog, and a man who noticed the body of a dead bum (set as a trap to lure his victims to him). Tom Piper leads the FBI Task Force trying to track down Galileo. Piper seeks the help of his former protégé, Esme Stuart, who left the Bureau seven years ago to live with her husband and child on Long Island. Esme travels to Amarillo, Texas, the scene of Galileo's second slaughter. This time he started a fire in an aquarium and killed all the firemen who responded, all but one. He took care of the final one in his hospital bed. The Task Force has to determine the reason behind the attacks and then figure out where Galileo will strike next. Esme, who has a love and expertise of puzzles, has some ideas after reading through the file. But when she gets hurt, the FBI uses Tom Piper as a scapegoat and all hell is still breaking loose.

Joshua Corin has written a wonderfully fast-paced and action-packed drama that will keep one reading late into the night. Readers will have to overlook some blatant sexism on the part of Esme's husband, Rafe, who makes Esme feel guilty for wanting to help catch a killer. Aside from that, it's a very enjoyable read. If you get squeamish about a high body count, then let this one pass; but if that doesn't bother you, it's a wild roller- coaster ride with a serial sniper at the helm.

Corin gives vivid descriptions, bringing scenes to life, including the lurid ones. He takes an interesting look at politics and religion as well. I hope to get to know Esme Stuart more as Corin progresses in this series. The second book, Before Cain Strikes, is due out in 2011.

Book Summary

IF THERE WERE A GOD, HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED ME.

That is the message discovered atop an elementary school in downtown Atlanta. Across the street are the bodies of fourteen innocent men and women, each quickly and cleanly murdered. The sniper Galileo is on the loose. He can end a human life from hundreds of yards away. And he has just begun.

Where others see puzzles, Esme Stuart sees patterns, and these outside-the-box inductive skills made her one of the FBI's top field operatives--when she worked for the Bureau. But she turned her back on that dark abyss eight years ago to start a family and live a normal life. She now has a husband and a daughter and a Long Island house to call her own.

But as Galileo's murders escalate, her beleaguered old boss needs the help of his former protegee. But is Esme willing to jeopardize her new perfect life--which she has certainly earned... How will she explain it to her husband? Her daughter?

And what will happen when Galileo aims his scope at them?

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