Crosses by the Road

A serial killer appears in Monterey County. His calling card is a grave cross by the road, with the date of the attack marked on the cross. The killer knows everything about his victims, or rather, everything they foolishly shared... online. Indeed, for some, the synthetic world replaces reality and sometimes wounds just as much. Does this mean that blogging can become not only a part of life but also a cause of death? This is what Katherine Dance, a police psychologist, body language specialist, and Detective Michael O'Neil are trying to figure out. The main suspect becomes a seventeen-year-old gamer, an avid participant in online role-playing games and a target of cyberbullying. Perhaps he is driven by revenge? But as soon as the police get close to him, he disappears. Does his escape prove his guilt? Is he hiding — or is he being hidden?..