This one is my favorite so far in the Agent Pendergast series. Ritualistic killings occur in a small Kansas town, leading Agent Pendergast (who as always seems to show up at the right time without formally being invited by law enforcement) to believe the killer is someone local. Pendergast enlists the help of a local outcast, a 17-year-old Goth girl with an alcoholic mother. Meanwhile, the local sheriff isn't too pleased to have Pendergast's help. 
 As usual, the description is wonderful, and the reader feels he/she is trapped in those dark corn fields with the killer. But also as usual, the ending goes on too long and isn't completely satisfying. With all these books, I find the explanation for the crimes a bit disappointing. But it's not enough to steer me away from the series or spoil the reading experience. Plus, this fourth book reveals a tiny bit more about Pendergast who continues to remain an enigma, both to the characters in the book and to the reader.