What better place for a serial killer to operate than the Twelve-Step Programs, where “anonymous” is a way of life? To catch the Twelve-Step killer who calls himself the Axeman, New Orleans police detective Skip Langdon hangs in the meetings themselves—AA, Codependents Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous—for some pretty funny scenes. But then things get rough—the Axeman accelerates his murder cycle. This is the second in this beloved police procedural series, one of the first to usher in the era of the not-so-perfect female sleuth. Skip, with her insecurities and weight worries, is the real treasure here, a testament to the notion that a really great cop can also be a lot like the rest of us. A great mystery for fans of female detectives, hard-boiled, even cozy. The first in the series, New Orleans Mourning, won the Edgar for Best Novel.