Tim Hess is a semi-retired veteran cop staring at a death sentence — his own. In the throes of a losing battle against cancer, his time is literally running out. Three times divorced, childless. Hess is the classic loner cop — and he’s happy to accept the job held out to him: tracking down a ruthless killer who’s been abducting beautiful young women from Orange County. Merci Rayborn has a reputation for causing trouble. Brash, ambitious, and impatient, she hasn’t devoted any time to her personal life, and she’s not terribly popular with her peers or her superiors — a matter that isn’t helped by the sexual harassment case she’s recently filed against some fellow officers. Hess isn’t thrilled to be taking orders from this difficult yet smart young woman. And he certainly isn’t planning to fall in love with her... Intricately plotted and surprisingly moving, The Blue Hour is T. Jefferson Parker’s most compelling — and satisfying — thriller yet.