A cautionary tale for men, Fear Killer is the story of Emily Perrit, a beautiful but timid young woman victimized by an abusive, adulterous husband. When Emily is attacked by an intruder in her home, she surprises herself by fighting off and finally killing the man. Recognizing the fear in his dying eyes tips her over the edge. She has never made anybody afraid before and is no longer willing to be a victim. Emily’s need to see that fear again soon becomes an obsession, with deadly consequences for a few unlucky men who come in contact with her.

Detective Martha Newton of the Ft. Collins, Colorado Police, who befriends Emily after the first attack, is assigned to investigate a series of brutal murders that eventually lead back to Emily. Martha, 50, overweight, sometimes overbearing, and still missing her husband dead 10 years, must deal with a new man in her life, the troubled loves lives of officers under her, a black-widow killer waiting in the wings, and her reluctance to suspect an obviously troubled Emily of several brutal murders.

Martha knows where her duty lies, but will she follow it?