Paradise Valley by C. J. Box

Cassie is still hunting a serial killer.  He was caught once but got away on a technicality.  She knows he's still killing prostitutes.  He gets pleasure from it.  This time she's going to make sure he doesn't walk away...

St Martin's Press allowed me to read a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 25th.

Mr. Box always writes complex mysteries with plenty of action, lots of tension and unknown factors influencing the outcome.

While Cassie is setting a trap for the Lizard King, she's also having a few problems with her son.  He's growing up and he's not so easily put off if she has to work overtime.  He'd really like to help her in her investigations but he can't.  He understands but he resents it.  Then his best friend goes missing...

They have the whole team out setting a trap for the Lizard King.  His truck turns in and he backs up to the dock.  The cops move in and suddenly the truck blows up!  Cassie loses her fiance and several friends in the explosion and there's not enough of a body to identify the driver.  After she's recovered a bit from the deaths, she begins to wonder if that was really him driving that truck.  She soon finds out it was not. She's been fired, however, and shouldn't be investigating.  She persists.

Two boys intended to float down the river and eventually get to New Orleans.  Maybe a lady will lift her top in front of them and they'll get to see her boobs.  They don't make it, the Lizard King grabs them.  The crimes continue and get more gross.  One boy is killed and the one with the speech abnormality is kept alive.

The Lizard King is evil.  He kills people whether he wants to or not.  The ending is ironic.  His own evil is used against him.  I'll be thinking of this one for a long time.