New York City is thrown into sudden chaos by a rash of brutal serial killings. The victims are young, blond women, raped and murdered; a series of chilling letters sent to city newspapers by the killer draws unnerving references to classical music. The media are obsessed and the population is terrified - and titillated - that the Symphony Slasher is among them. Zelly Wyche is a twenty-eight-year-old housewife and mother of a six-month-old baby girl. Like many young.

couples, she and her husband, Pat, struggle to make ends meet in a New Jersey suburb. Zelly's lifelong fascination with the psychology of the serial murderer has kept her riveted to the newspapers since the recent killings began, but her interest becomes tempered by caution when she notices gradual changes in Pat's behavior. While he keeps odd hours in his desire to build a new business, his absences become more frequent - and his behavior more erratic - until Zelly is.

forced to begin a chilling inner journey from denial and rationalization to the horrifying discovery of her husband's unspeakable secrets. John Nassent, a twenty-eight-year-old accountant, has taken care of his beloved sister, Cheryl, since childhood when their mother died. Since his divorce, Cheryl is the one real anchor in his life - until her body is discovered along the West Side Highway, a victim of the Symphony Slasher. Madeleine Levy, an elementary-school teacher,

is pulled from the sidewalk into the shadows of a West Village street by unknown arms. But, unlike the five women before her, Madeleine escapes. She has seen the Slasher's face, and may be the only living link to the killer. In a desperate search for any clue that might lead to the killer, John is able to contact Madeleine and persuade her to join him where the police have failed. Together they probe Manhattan's underworld of prostitution, transvestites, and drugs - and.

ultimately end up back in the fearful suburbs of northern New Jersey. It is the singular juxtaposition of journeys - seen both from the disbelieving eyes of a serial murderer's wife and the enraged perspective of his victims - that drives the narrative of Blood Music toward its spellbinding conclusion. A true tale of suspense, Blood Music is a unique, mesmerizing debut.