Intelligent nemesis and talented investigator - the author claims this many times throughout the book but there is no evidence of intelligence in the story or indeed in the author.

Half of the story is devoted to detailing the serial killers life and killings leaving NO MYSTERY WHATSOEVER, when the reader is aware of the killers identity it only serves to make his adversary look slow. Really, taking pains to avoid leaving physical evidence does not make the serial killer overflowing with intelligence it is rudimentary logic and pointing it out in such an obvious way and actually calling the character intelligent does not make him so.

It wasn't until a third of the way through the book this talented investigator actually started investigating. Instead we are treated to the minutiae of inspector Davenport's life. Being a rich so-called "ladies man" (sleeping with witnesses and reporters who leek information about the case hardly deserves the title "ladies man") does not make the character an interesting protagonist, and in fact he is as dull and predictable.

This is a truly awful piece of rot.