A propulsive debut suspense novel, filled with secrets, nerve-jangling tension, perplexing mystery, and cold-blooded murder, in which a police officer on the hunt for a macabre serial killer is brutally attacked, and only his partner knows the truth about what happened—and who did it.
After months of hunting a cold-blooded murderer that the press has dubbed the Thorn Killer, Detective Greg Carver is shot in his own home. His trusted partner, Ruth Lake, is alone with him. Yet instead of calling for help, she’s rearranged the crime scene and wiped the room clean of prints.
But Carver isn’t dead.
Awakening in the hospital, Carver has no memory of being shot, but is certain that his assailant is the Thorn Killer. Though there’s no evidence to support his claim, Carver insists the attack is retaliation, an attempt to scare the detective off the psychopath’s scent, because he’s getting too close. Trapped in a hospital bed and still very weak, Carver’s obsession grows. He’s desperate to get back to work and finally nail the bastard, before more innocent blood is spilled.
One person knows the truth and she’s not telling. She’s also now leading the Thorn Killer investigation while Carver recuperates. It doesn’t matter that Carver and the rest of the force are counting on her, and that more victims’ lives at stake. Ruth is keeping a deadly secret, and she’ll cross every line—sacrificing her colleagues, her career, and maybe even her own life—to keep it from surfacing.
Utterly engrossing and filled with masterfully crafted surprises, Splinter in the Blood is a propulsive roller-coaster ride, filled with deception, nerve-jangling tension, perplexing mystery, and cold-blooded murder.
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“Dyer, the pen name of UK crime writer Margaret Murphy and forensic scientist Helen Pepper, plants a red herring as this debut spins to a breathless conclusion. Solid suspense fiction by a knowledgeable duo.”
— Booklist
“One of the boldest, most inventive serial-killer thrillers since The Silence of the Lambs…anchored by a protagonist as complicated as she is compelling.”
— A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author“Enthralling…The skillfully constructed plot complements the intriguing characters, including a deliciously creepy killer who lurks in the background. Dyer is definitely a crime writer to watch.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“With complicated leads and a ruthless killer whose method is barbaric enough to be frightening without shading into the grotesque, this is a debut worthy of sequels.”
— Kirkus Review“A taut and compelling thriller, as sharp as the thorns that feature in the plot.”
— Ann Cleeves, internationally bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope series“Compelling, clever. Packed with macabre and fascinating forensic details. A stunning debut.”
— Mo Hayder, author of GoneBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Ashley Dyer is a writing duo based in the United Kingdom. This is their first book together