BURNT OUT SECRETS

MEET DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES IN THIS BRILLIANT CRIME SERIES FROM A SERVING POLICE OFFICER.

An absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist.

For five long years, Detective Barnes has been hunting the killer of the person he cared about the most. Now, the one man who could have revealed the truth is dead. His charred and blackened body is all that remains in his burnt-out flat.

A week later, a desperate, emaciated young woman hammers on the door of a late-night convenience store. She speaks no English — but it’s clear that she’s terrified — and running for her life.

It's only Barnes who connects the two events. He and his new boss, Superintendent Samson Kane, team up to uncover the truth. Their investigations stir up dangerous undercurrents within Eastbourne’s criminal community.

And the two police detectives are vulnerable. Both Barnes and Kane have secrets in their pasts. Secrets which look set to catch up with them . . . with horrifying consequences.

Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Helen H. Durrant, Peter James, Angela Marsons and Rachel McLean.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ADAM LYNDON:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Packed full of unexpected twists and turns.’ Sheila M.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Pulled me in and held me to the end.’ Dawn T.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Very good and gripping.’ Kay C.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Some really convoluted twists and turns. I loved it.’ Rob

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Excellent sense of place, strong characterisation . . . authentic and detailed police procedure, and a thrilling denouement.’ Oliver T.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A real page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it.’ Mike B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Cracking good police story. Complex and twisty.’ Joan

THE DETECTIVES

DI Rutherford Barnes was an ambitious, idealistic young police constable when he first joined the force. His eleven years with the police have left him disillusioned, world-weary and a touch cynical. He’s a dedicated police officer, although in the course of his career, he’s made mistakes and ruffled too many feathers — and is no longer on the fast track to promotion.

Superintendent Samson Kane, with his piercing, almost silver eyes, spiky punk hairdo and swathe of tattoos, isn’t a natural fit in the modern police service. After a colourful career in business, he’s been parachuted into the senior ranks through a new lateral-entry scheme. But although he lacks experience, his unconventional thinking means he’s given to flashes of insight that elude other cops. People talk to Samson — he has an ability to connect with the public — and an instinct for tapping into the streets and getting them to play his tune.

THE SETTING

Set against the picturesque landscape of the South Downs, the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne is packed with tourists during the summer — but it can seem pretty dismal during the winter months. Only fifty-odd miles from London, the town is not immune to the violence which occasionally spills over from the city. Pockets of deprivation and criminality exist alongside reminders of Eastbourne’s more genteel past in the grand Victorian hotels that line the seafront, the pier and the bandstand. The town also boasts one of Britain’s best-known — and most infamous — beauty spots, Beachy Head.

THE AUTHOR

Adam Lyndon has been a serving UK police officer for more than twenty years, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations.