Phantom

Power (The Ghosts of Thorwald Place) mostly impresses with this propulsive, high-concept Faustian thriller. It's been a year since a Chicago serial killer known as the Phantom Strangler has struck. The city finally believes it might be out of the woods when a woman is strangled shortly after leaving her pastry class one evening. The latest slaying freaks out struggling artist Regan Osbourne, who's just lost her casino job and is trying to shake off her drug dealer ex-boyfriend, Ben. Desperate for rent money, Regan steals $1,200 from the wallet of a stranger she sleeps with one night, only to have the man, Sylvain Dufour, track her down and offer her a devil's bargain: Dufour will pay Regan $1 million and make sure Ben is out of the picture if she agrees to sever her left hand and give it to him. Regan eventually agrees, and experiences debilitating phantom pain where her hand used to be. When the pain subsides, she's suddenly able to sense what her missing hand is doing--and it feels like it might be strangling people. While certain surprises disappoint, Power maintains a breakneck pace, and she sticks the landing. Daniel Palmer fans will enjoy themselves. (Oct.)