A series of murders baffle Detective Loren Stutz. Michael Carter, a disabled war veteran, is the first victim. One clue emerges. The killer spit on Carter"s head. Over four week intervals, three more strangulations follow. Dried spit is found in the hair of each victim. Patti Carr, Stutz" girlfriend, learns Thus Spake Zarathustra, a book by Nietzsche, was at all of the crime scenes. Ann Prescott, a philosophy professor, constructs a diabolical hypothesis, Metaphysics for Murder. A black Jeep at the Forster crime scene leads to Everett Smythson, a successful investment manager. During a confrontation, Smythson arrogantly confesses and explains his motivations. Stutz kills Smythson in an apparent act of self defense. With the murders solved, Stutz marries Patti. Smythson leaves a frightening legacy. This mystery offers humor, romance, sex, food for thought and murder.