Kukafka's gripping novel turns the serial killer narrative on its head. While the clock ticks nearer to the execution of Ansel Packer, Kukafka tells the story of the victims and the women this psychopath has left in his wake. These include the mother who abandoned him to save herself,  the twin sister of the woman he married, and the childhood acquaintance who grew into the detective obsessed with bringing Packer to justice. Kukafka weaves a narrative web that ensnares the reader, presenting in forensic detail the foibles and ordinary heroism that make up the very human people most crime stories tend to dismiss. An unforgettable page-turner.