Destiny of Death — Dell Shannon

A nice young man is helping little old ladies with their groceries . . . then stealing their Social Security; an enormous 'ape man' with a face like King Kong is robbing liquor stores; 'Jack the Stripper' is leaving gas-station registers empty . . . and the attendants naked; a pretty Hispanic woman is killed and ethnic tensions are ready to explode; a little girl is mutilated; a cop is fatally shot.

Between the weather and the crime wave, Lieutenant Luis Mendoza - the family-man cop - finds shelter at home, knowing that even violence on the streets of Los Angeles eases up . . . eventually.

'A Luis Mendoza mystery means superlative suspense' Los Angeles Timesc