The famous sleuth comes out of retirement to help his father hunt down
a New York City serial killer: "Marvelous . . . one of his best"
(Classic Mysteries).
In the dog days of August, it is no surprise to see New Yorkers
perspire. But this summer, a killer called the Cat gives the city a new
reason to sweat. He selects his victims seemingly at random and
strangles them, then escapes without leaving a clue. As the death toll
climbs, and the press whips the public into horrified frenzy, Gotham
teeters on the edge of anarchy. Ellery Queen, the brilliant amateur
sleuth, has gone into retirement when the Cat begins to kill. As his
father, a seasoned homicide detective, leads the investigation into the
murder, Ellery tries to avoid getting involved. But as the body count
rises, he can no longer resist the urge to hunt. The Queens are known
for their curiosity--and everyone knows how curiosity can affect a cat.