Tami Hoag begins to voice her novel's most explicit—though not necessarily most significant—social concern as early as the acknowledgments. By thanking a series of FBI agents, members of the CASKU (Child Abduction Serial Killer Unit), officers of various victim services groups, and, of course, members of the police department, Hoag signals the central importance of law enforcement for this crime fiction mystery in which a serial killer is preying upon prostitutes.

Hoag's research into the practices of the police and FBI have given her special insight into the problems faced by law enforcement officers. These problems include both those of a personal nature and those more strictly related to fighting crime.

The unwritten presumption of Hoag's novel is that the "cops" and FBI agents themselves (as opposed to their various superiors) are the only ones who really care about solving crimes, cleaning...