For as long as she can remember, Laurel, Maryland native Cassandra Zaruba has always loved to write. Winner of the 2000 Creative Writing prize from the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society and as a 2004 graduate of UMBC's English department, she has finally gotten her chance to professionally pursue this passion with her first published novel, a thriller/suspense/murder mystery story called Liquid Bones (PublishAmerica).

Inspired by the work of William Faulkner and the amount of time any self-respecting English major spends buried in literature, the novel centers around a serial murderer who goes by the Wallace-Stevens-inspired moniker "The Emperor of Ice Cream." Having indulged himself in one murder, the Emperor finds himself unable to stop, but regains some semblance of control by working, as many serial killers do, in a pattern. However, his selection of victims is somewhat more interesting and specific than most: inspired by a favorite book of poetry, the Emperor travels around the area surrounding Bismark, North Dakota, and chooses victims according to how well they fit his literary criteria.

The story is told from his perspective and that of four other characters: recent college graduate Emilia, art dealer Luke, basketball coach Gavin and theology student Caleb. Emilia, caught in the classic horror-film situation of being stranded in the middle of nowhere when her car breaks down, has an unexpected encounter with the Emperor, emerging intact but with no memory of what has happened to her. In an effort to rediscover the truth behind the blank in her mind, she and her newfound friends become deeply involved in the events surrounding the Emperor's series of murders.

Look for a full review of Liquid Bones in the next issue or so of The Retriever Weekly. The novel can be purchased from a number of online sources, including amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and publishamerica.com. For more information about the book and Cassandra Zaruba, please visit her website, www.cassandrazaruba.com.