When mystery writer Paul Graves was a twelve-year old living in North Carolina, his older sister Gwen was murdered. That incident has had a profound effect on Paul to this day, as he scribes stories based on the dark side of human experience. However, to feel safe from his own tales, Paul sets them in New York at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Allison Davis, who manages a writers colony, asks Paul to do her a favor and investigate the unsolved murder of Faye Harrison, who was killed in 1946. Reluctantly, Paul agrees because he knows that if he refused deep down inside FayeÆs murder will only add more crushing guilt to that he already has amassed from GwenÆs murder.

With his latest release, INSTRUMENTS OF THE NIGHT,Thomas H. Cook substantiates why he won the 1996 Edgar Award for Best Novel (see THE CHATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR). The complex story line is filled with twists that work because of PaulÆs reactions to them as they seem to mirror his own demons. Paul is a great figure, whose past not only haunts his present, but makes decisions for the scarred hero. If Malcolm Baldrige gave out a quality award for consistent excellence in mystery writing, Mr. Cook would be an obvious recipient as one of the all-time great masters scores another customer satisfying triumph.