FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

“Phelps’s “THE DEAD SOUL” takes readers into the mind of the serial killer like no other thriller could. Turning the pages—and they move quickly—you can hear Phelps’s serial killer in this book breathing in your ear.”
—Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of “Fear Collector” and “Victim Six”

In this first novel, serial killer expert, star of Investigation Discovery’s hit series DARK MINDS, author of twenty-three books, M. William Phelps takes readers into the twisted world of “the Optimist,” a sadistic serial killer—based on Phelps’s ten years of research and writing about serial killers—bent on not only terrorizing his young female victims, leaving their naked bodies along Boston’s Freedom Trail, but also driving Detective Jake “Sundance” Cooper to the edge of insanity as the cop fights to redeem his imploding career. Through an investigation revealing the true madness and evil of this killer, Jake’s mentor, Detective Mo Blackhall, is on the verge of being indicted for his role in a Big Dig corruption scandal, putting Jake at the center of choosing blue blood loyalty over the truth.

Strap yourself in and prepare for a thrill ride of suspense, mystery and police procedural drama, with a captivating and honest look at the underbelly of Boston’s mean streets, driven by a cast of characters reminiscent of Dennis Lehane’s greatest fiction.

“Read the first page of “THE DEAD SOUL” and you won't stop. … Phelps’s narrative grabs you by the lapels and doesn’t let go.”
—John Lutz, New York Times bestselling author

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