Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs return to New York City to investigate
a triple murder and confront a killer terrorizing couples at their
happiest--and most vulnerable in this explosive New York Times
bestseller.
In the early hours of a quiet, weekend morning in Manhattan's Diamond
District, a brutal triple murder shocks the city. Lincoln Rhyme and
Amelia Sachs quickly take the case. Curiously, the killer has left
behind a half-million dollars' worth of gems at the murder scene, a
jewelry store on 47th street. As more crimes follow, it becomes clear
that the killer's target is not gems, but engaged couples themselves.
The Promisor vows to take the lives of men and women during their most
precious moments--midway through the purchase of an engagement ring,
after a meeting with a wedding planner, trying on the perfect gown for a
day that will never come. The Promisor arrives silently, armed with
knife or gun, and a time of bliss is transformed, in an instant, to one
of horror.
Soon the Promiser makes a dangerous mistake: leaving behind an innocent
witness, Vimal Lahori, a talented young diamond cutter, who can help
Rhyme and Sachs blow the lid off the case. They must track down Vimal
before the killer can correct his fatal error. Then disaster strikes,
threatening to tear apart the very fabric of the city--and providing the
perfect cover for the killer to slip through the cracks.