The Twenty-Three by Linwood Barclay - 4 stars

[Ellen]

Promise Falls, NY, is once again having a horrible day. As the townsfolk wake up and start their day, hundreds are quickly overcome with devastating, and for some fatal, symptoms of a mysterious illness. It is soon evident that the town's water supply has been tampered with and the bodies are starting to pile up. Who would do such a thing? Meanwhile, another young coed has been found murdered at the local college. Her death matches that of 2 other female students in the past 3 years. A serial killer. Poison in the water supply. All of this on the heels of the mysterious '23' clues: 23 dead squirrels, eerie mannequin parts in the '23' car of an abandoned ferris wheel, bus #23 engulfed in flames as it ran crazily through the town square. Somehow this must all be connected and Detective Barry Duckworth will need all the help he can get to stop the madness.

This is the 3rd book in the Promise Falls trilogy and thank goodness all of these story lines were finally wrapped up. There is nearly too much going on in the book to keep track of but it is ultimately satisfying with a good mystery. I can't imagine trying to read this series out of order so, if you're game, definitely start at the beginning.