Cultivating Despair

Death is easy; it’s life that’s hard. The Angel of Death, or AOD as he dubs himself, provides a public service by eliminating those he deems sleazebags. Because of his fascination with chess, he never attacks his targets directly. Instead, he takes those related to the target off the board one by one while tormenting his true victim until that target commits suicide.
Detective Hauteman is new on the job at the state police Major Crimes Homicide unit. She investigates a suspicious death others would rather classify as an accident. More bodies pile up. They seem like accidents, but always involving family members of the first victim.
Detective Hauteman’s captain suspends her for investigating the deaths even after he orders her to stop. With AOD selecting his targets based on his whims and planning moves steps ahead like any chess master, plus her captain growing more enraged when she refuses to cease investigating the deaths, Detective Hauteman struggles to unearth any detail to shed light on the killer.