The Man in the Crooked Hat by Harry Dolan

 

I grabbed this because I'd liked something else by the author a few weeks ago, and this novel ... turned out to be a well-written and complex--without being stupidly overcomplicated, without deploying pointless "twists"--novel. It switches out POV some on a chapter-by-chapter basis, but the two mains are the protagonist and the antagonist: This turns out to be a solid narrative choice, the antagonist is warped but at least mostly trying to do and be the best he can, and in some ways the former-police protagonist is probably a greater social disruptor than the serial killer. At least, he's arguably about as warped in extent if not in direction. Well-written, very believable characters, tons of like dramatic suspense, including the possibility the protagonist will die, or maybe turn out not to be as good a person as he wants. And a denouement that is kinda beautiful in its ambiguity.