DEAD TOWN

AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING BRITISH CRIME THRILLER FULL OF TWISTS.

She digs up London’s past crimes. Her blog is called Deadtown. Now she’s dug up something that got her killed.   

Detective Mary Hume stares at the crime scene in confusion. She’s in an empty flat. Peeling wallpaper. A bloodstained chair in the middle of the room.

But no body.

Her sergeant hands her a burner phone. On it is a video clip. It shows a woman. Tied to the chair in the flat, a carving knife pressed to her throat. As Mary watches in horror, the blade flashes across the woman’s exposed skin. She slumps forward, lifeless.

Placed in the woman’s lap is a piece of cardboard. Written on it in blood-red is one word: DEADTOWN.

The phone was handed in to Charing Cross police station the day before. The woman in the video is Melissa Clarke. A true crime blogger famous for exposing London’s most notorious cold cases.

Just what did Melissa dig up that got her killed?

To find the answers, Mary calls on maverick ex-police officer Raine. Raine thinks outside the box. She can reach people – and places – that Mary can’t.

Then a second body is discovered – and the two detectives realize that someone is playing twisted mind games with them.

Can they pull the pieces of the puzzle together before more people die?

Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Lynda La Plante, Karin Slaughter, Biba Pearce and Angela Marsons.

READERS LOVE THE RAINE AND HUME BOOKS:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! This book had high suspense, intrigue, murder and a great female character! . . . Had me glued to my Kindle!’ Debbie B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A gripping story from page 1 to the end . . . with a surprise twist ending.’ Paula L.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One cracking read. I love the two main characters, Raine and Hume.’ Anne M.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An engrossing tale of murder, cruelty and determination, with a big twist . . . Raine is a mesmerising character.’ Elaine T.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A page-turner of a book which had me enthralled from the first page . . . A surprise ending which left me wanting more. I loved it!’ Martha B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant. Totally gripping.’ Dizzy Bee

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A super read . . . Great characters with a believable and engrossing storyline. Once started, you will find this book difficult to put down.’ Vicky W.

MEET THE DETECTIVES

Detective Inspector Mary Hume is in her mid-fifties, a seasoned detective with the Met. She loves her job, but finds the latest technology a challenge. She’s happily married to Robert, practises yoga and watches what she eats. Her friendship with maverick private investigator Raine is fine on the surface — even though Raine’s deep-fried diet fills her with horror — but there are underlying tensions.

Raine is a former police officer turned private investigator. She left the Met in tragic circumstances. She uses irreverent banter and off-colour jokes to cover her quick thinking and sudden flashes of violence. In her mid-thirties, she lives on a houseboat in central London.

ALSO BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS

RAINE & HUME SERIES

Book 1: THE SKIN CODE

Book 2: A BLOODSTAINED COAT

Book 3: DEAD TOWN