The Chameleon's Shadow - Minette Walters

Minette Walters is England's bestselling female crime writer, and her new novel shows us why. It is a gripping, sometimes shocking mystery that reveals much more than the identity of the killer. As with her earlier titles (The Ice House, The Sculptress, The Scold's Bridle, etc.), Walters makes some important points about the world around us while engrossing us in a terrific story. 

Lt. Charles Acland is a young man who has been horribly disfigured in the Iraq War. Back in London, his promising military career at an end, he is one of the lost, the "other" victims of war, attempting to readjust to civilian life in a society that has no use for him. His physical disability is accompanied by psychological trauma, manifested by sudden, violent rages, migraine headaches, and an inexplicable aversion to women. Meanwhile, London is being plagued by a series of brutal murders of gay men. When these two stories intersect, the suspense really begins. Is Lt. Acland a monster? He's considered a suspect by the police, and the doctors who have been working with him are unable to explain his odd behavior. A chance meeting with an unusual woman doctor, an enormous, body building "butch" lesbian who also happens to be the most sensible character in the story, paves the way for a solution to the mystery. 

The Chameleon's Shadow also includes valid observations about mental illness, homelessness, unlikely friendships, and the real, lasting horrors of war. Acland's scars make him one of the statistics, the "acceptable losses" of military personnel in conflict. In this exciting story, Walters eloquently proves that there's nothing acceptable about it. Highly recommended.

Slight surface scratching on cover and some creasing on spine.  A couple of faint yellowish spots on first page and on thickness of pages.  Rest of book in good condition!

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