PJ Gray

St. Louis Police Department psychologist PJ Gray applies a new virtual-reality investigative technology to a new case involving a serial killer who mutilates his victims and finds that she must step into the mind of a murderer to prevent her own death.

PJ Gray, psychologist and expert in the groundbreaking field of forensic computer simulation, made an impressive debut in Shirley Kennett's acclaimed first novel, "Gray Matter". Now, PJ returns to track down a cunning killer who is manipulating the computer system of a busy St. Louis hospital.

Forensic psychologist PJ Gray has never faced this kind of serial killer: The murderer is all of 12 years old. Columbus Wade was a clumsy killer at first, but he soon has a knack for the grisly business, slaughtering teachers with terrible efficiency. He’s had plenty of practice, having mastered murder in the alternate worlds of virtual reality. Forensic psychologist PJ Gray is no slouch with computers herself, and her simulation models are of great help in the pursuit.

Within just a couple of days, detective Leo Schultz’s life unravels. His son Rick is kidnapped and horrifically murdered. The very next day, Schultz’s car runs over a little girl, and he is identified by witnesses as the driver. Only his partner, PJ Gray, believes in his innocence. For city officials, this is not the end of it, as key members of the law and order systems are successively taken down.

A serial killer dubbed the Metro Mangler is on the loose in St. Louis. PJ Gray, psychologist and virtual-reality sleuth, heads the investigation, alongside her partner, the veteran homicide detective Leo Schultz. Are the killings the work of one criminal, or two? The partners sift through baffling evidence, which links to a 30-year-old crime and a wealthy family’s secrets. But in this case, there’s an added complication: The relationship between the partners is heating up.

Burning Rose is a thriller with high stakes, exotic locations, unforgettable characters, and a splash of romance! Casey Washington is a freelance eco-journalist who thinks she has the brass ring in her grasp - an interview with Robert Gunner, the reclusive head of a powerful megacorporation building a controversial hydroelectric project in an unspoiled Amazon River rainforest.When the interview goes wrong, she’s mad enough to start turning over stones and seeing what crawls out.