Splinter in the Blood: A Novel

Ashley Dyer

Jun 2018 · HarperCollins

About this ebook

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 ruthless 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 rearranges the crime scene and wipes 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 was getting too close. Trapped in a hospital bed and still very weak, Carver finds his obsession growing. 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 talking. 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 are 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, perplexing mystery, and cold-blooded murder.

Ratings and reviews

Just WOW! What a story! What a ride! This debut novel blew me away! Hopefully this is only the first in a long series. Detective Greg Carver is on the trail of a serial killer ... The Thorn Killer. This killer grabs woman and spends days and days tattooing their bodies with a thorn, filled with poison. So far there have been 5 victims with no evident connection. Detective Greg Carver is shot in his own home. His trusted partner, Detective Ruth Lake, is alone with him. Yet instead of calling for help, she’s rearranged the crime scene and wiped the room clean. She's also removed the gun she finds next to him. But Carver isn’t dead. Upon awakening in the hospital, Carver can't remember what happened. He has a vague memory of Ruth standing over him with a gun. Did she shoot him? One person knows the truth and she’s not telling. She’s also now leading the Thorn Killer investigation while Carver recuperates. 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. I was hooked from the very first page .... drew me in like a magnet. There are so many elements to this story.. some professional, some personal. I loved the characters. The interaction between Carver and Lake runs the gamut of emotions .. .anger, sadness, and when they start lying to each other, you have to wonder if the friendship they have will survive. There are several secondary characters that I really hope return in a future book. I would love to know their back stories. The suspense starts on page 1 and never lets up. There are many twists and turns and surprises around every corner. The ending was so unexpected and explosive ... I never saw it coming. Many thanks to the author / William Morrow / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of this fantastic crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely our own.

Wonderfully written book! A page turner! Hard time putting it down. Have not read a good book like this in a long while. Looking forward to the next one.

I was very aware of the authors' presence while reading, but it was so well done and well researched, it didn't matter. I didn't want to put it down.

About the author

Ashley Dyer is a writing duo based in the United Kingdom. Margaret Murphy is a Writing Fellow and Reading Round Lector for the Royal Literary Fund, a past chair of the Crime Writers Association (CWA), and founder of Murder Squad. A CWA Short Story Dagger winner, she has been shortlisted for the First Blood critics’ award for crime fiction as well as the CWA Dagger in the Library. Under her own name she has published nine psychological suspense and police procedural novels.Helen Pepper is a senior lecturer in policing at Teesside University. She has been an analyst, forensic scientist, scene of crime officer, CSI, and crime scene manager. She has coauthored, as well as contributed to, professional policing texts. Her expertise is in great demand with crime writers: she is a judge for the CWA’s Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction Award, and is a forensic consultant on both the Vera and Shetland TV series.