The modus operandi of this powerful thriller is the hook that snags the reader in chapter one and just won't let go. In a sleepy coastal town north of Boston, a serial killer is murdering select victims, couples mostly. Intriguingly, however, this brutal hunter serves a higher calling. Detective Stanley Devonshire is uncovering a trail of evidence in an attempt to determine exactly how the killer has managed to continue on its horrific rampage undiscovered-for what appears to be eighty years now-and with the exact same pattern. At the outset, there is no discernible thread of reason connecting the killings. So Stan enlists the help of his longtime friend from Marblehead, Detective Mark Brown. Stan is also joined forcibly by a stunning state police officer and imposing federal agent who follow him along on a journey of revelation-twist after convoluted twist. Devonshire is certain he is close to solving the cases stacking up on his desk, but in his attempt to identify the illusive killer, will he or someone close to him become the hunter's next prey? The Steel Van Man has the reader holding his breath and postulating at every turn as the book weaves a story of murders committed, secrets revealed and justice sought. While the author weaves tantalizing threads of disclosure, the reader is driven in an uncomfortable direction, a direction he might prefer to avoid.