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Kathryn Casey: The Killing Storm

Writing novels about brutal crimes and evil murderers doesn’t bother Houston author Kathryn Casey, who spent 20 years writing true crime books. "It's talking to the real-life families of real victims that bothers me. This, the fiction, is easy. I know it isn't real and I know nobody gets hurt," she tells us. Readers have a more difficult time not being bothered by the crimes in her books, though. Lyrical and detailed, Casey's writing often entangles readers; her books are what the industry calls page-turners.

Casey's latest foray into fiction is the just-released The Killing Storm, the third in a series featuring Texas Ranger Sarah Armstrong. Set in Houston, the story starts with the abduction of a four-year-old boy. The most puzzling thing about the kidnapping is the odd reaction of the boy's mother, leading some to believe she's involved in the crime. Elsewhere, Ranger Armstrong is investigating the circumstances surrounding the mutilation of a longhorn on a cattle ranch just outside town. The animal was slaughtered, and a symbol dating back to the era of slavery and sugarcane plantations was left on the hide. Soon more cattle are killed in the same way. As the kidnapping and animal mutilation cases swirl frustratingly unsolved, a catastrophic hurricane is threatening the Gulf Coast, adding even more urgency to the situation. 3 p.m. Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet. For information, call 713-524-8597 or visit www.murderbooks.com. Free.
Sat., Nov. 13, 3 p.m., 2010

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Olivia Flores Alvarez