The Last Nightingale

As a serial killer stalks his victims in the fiery ruins of the 1906 earthquake, the police detective hunting him must protect a pair of adolescent orphans.

“…Dickens meets Hannibal Lecter. Brace yourself.” —Booklist

It’s 1906, and people from across the country are flocking to San Francisco, a growing center of industry and culture. But to some, the city is a place of unspeakable sin, and the Great Earthquake is seen as a day of reckoning for the immoral masses.

In the quake’s aftermath, another type of disaster strikes twelve-year old Shane Nightingale. Hiding in a closet for two days, he witnesses the violent deaths of his adoptive family at the hands of a twisted serial killer.

Sergeant Randall Blackburn is an honest police detective determined to track down the murderer. As Sergeant Blackburn’s work takes him through the ruins of the city, he spots the traumatized Shane Nightingale, and begins watching out for him. Soon Blackburn’s fate is linked with the cunning Shane and his scrappy orphan friend, ten year-old Vignette.

But despite Sergeant Blackburn’s protection, Shane is far from safe in the streets of the ravaged city. The killer is dead set on finishing the job—and won’t rest until the last Nightingale follows his family into the grave.

Anthony Flacco, an award winning screenwriter and true crime novelist, brings his two greatest talents together in the Nightingale Detective series. Fans of Devil in the White City will love this chilling serial killer mystery.

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Praise for New York Times bestselling author Anthony Flacco’s The Last Nightingale:

"...gripping and completely original…will raise the hair on the back of your neck.” —William Bernhardt, author of Capitol Threat

“Every historical mystery tries to hone in on the ideal setting at the perfect moment in time. Anthony Flacco succeeds on both counts in his first novel." —Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review

"...leaves you anxiously awaiting the next installment." —The Freelance Star

"...offers an abundance of those page-turning pleasures readers seek in historical thrillers: a time-trip through a richly imagined past, a story that never loosens its suspenseful grip, and a fascinating look at the roots of modern forensic science." —Harold Schechter, author of The Serial Killer Files

“Atmospheric, chilling, and with more twists and turns than crooked Lombard Street. The Last Nightingale has it all. I couldn’t put it down.” —Cara Black, author of Murder On The Ile Saint-Louis