Ninth Square — Gorman Bechard

When a man's body is discovered in one of New Haven, Connecticut's sleazier motels, it appears to be a simple case of a prostitute killing a john. A case that's quick, clean, and easy -- just what the police chief likes. But, as William Shute and his fellow detectives investigate, it becomes clear that appearances are deceiving. This case will be anything but quick and easy.

The pressure's on to wrap it up before the arrival of the Sons of God, a large religious group that will soon descend 60,000-strong upon New Haven for a rally at the Yale Bowl. But the dead man refuses to cooperate, and Shute finds himself in a race to identify the murder suspect and prove her innocence before the trigger-happy Federal agents find her.

Quick, clean, and easy. Right?