When Indianapolis surgeon Dr. Douglas Bayliss inherits a set of antique
surgical knives, little does he realize that their blades have been crafted from the
fragments of a Muramasa katana. Muramasa . . . the name echoes through Japanese
legend like a malign whisper: the swordsmith whose blades were notorious for their
thirst for blood. The scalpels' first owner, Sir Reginald Bastable, is known to history
as Jack the Ripper, driven by the knives' bloodlust. Now Bayliss, a notorious alcoholic
and abuser of women, falls under the Muramasas' demonic influence, and after each
time he performs surgery with them, he prowls the red-light district in search of a
sacrifice.
Former State CID investigator Greg D'Amico teaches Criminal Law at Indiana
University, where beautiful young Maggie Price is taking classes toward her law
degree. Strongly attracted to her, despite the fact that he knows she earns her tuition
by working as a hooker, D'Amico refrains from seeking a relationship with Maggie
for ethical reasons. However, when she consults Bayliss for a routine GYN checkup,
he asks her out for dinner, and they begin a torrid relationship. From that point on,
it is merely a matter of time before Bayliss discovers that Maggie is a prostitute -
and therefore fair prey for the Ripper and his Muramasa knives.
An aficionado of Japanese martial arts, D'Amico owns a priceless Yoshihiro katana, reputed to be as
potent for good as the Muramasas are for evil. But will his skill with the sword be
enough to save Maggie from the gruesome death that awaits her?
This volume includes two bonus short pieces: "The Life-Sculptors of Beta Noire" and "The Portals of Proximity."