At the stroke of madness

In the fourth installment of the Maggie O'Dell series, FBI special agent O'Dell embarks on a long-overdue vacation but quickly becomes embroiled in a chilling investigation at the request of her friend, psychologist Gwen Patterson. A missing person case leads them to a small Connecticut town, where a barrel containing a dead body is discovered in an abandoned quarry. To rule out the possibility that the victim is Gwen's patient, Maggie collaborates with the local sheriff, who is assisted by forensic anthropologist Professor Adam Bonzado. As more barrels are opened, a disturbing array of cannibalized victims is revealed, including a breast cancer survivor with her implants removed and an embalmed corpse missing its brain. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of Gwen's missing patient—alive but in peril—and the deranged killer, alongside the meticulous work of the coroner and anthropologist. Meanwhile, Maggie tends to Luc Racine, an elderly neighbor battling Alzheimer's, who is inadvertently connected to the case through his Jack Russell terrier, which keeps bringing him human bones. The story is marked by its intense plotting, minimal romance, and a stark absence of humor amidst the gruesome details.