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The Scent of Death
The Scent of Death
Oct 3, 2024 9:26 AM

Author:Simon Beckett

The Scent of Death

* Don't miss 'THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH' TV SERIES - now streaming on Paramount+ *

Adapted from The Chemistry of Death and Written in Bone - starring Harry Treadaway as Dr David Hunter

'A superbly strong read' The Times

What began as a straightforward case is about to become a twisted nightmare . . .

Once a busy hospital, St Jude's now stands derelict, awaiting demolition.

When a partially mummified corpse is found in the building's cavernous loft, forensics expert Dr David Hunter is called in to take a look. He can't say how long the body's been there, but he is certain it's that of a young woman. And that she was pregnant.

Then part of the attic floor collapses, revealing another of the hospital's secrets: a bricked-up chamber with beds inside. And some of them are still occupied.

And it soon becomes clear that St Jude's hasn't claimed its last victim . . .

Chilling, visceral and masterfully paced, Simon Beckett's new crime thriller will leave you gasping.

Reviews

Simon Beckett’s sixth novel featuring the forensic anthropologist David Hunter is arguably his best . . . a superbly strong read.

—— Marcel Berlins , THE TIMES

Beckett's masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads.

—— TESS GERRITSEN

We don't know quite how Toni Morrison does what she does, but we do know we are left shaken as readers and, to a profound degree, changed

—— Washington Post

Morrison has brought it all together: the poetry, the emotion, the broad symbolic plan

—— New York Times Book Review

It is a tour de force of writing

—— Independent on Sunday

Entrancing

—— Guardian

[I]ngenious, expertly written and a serious look at international conflicts that threaten the future of the world…Forsyth is supremely well-informed about world affairs, politics, diplomacy, weaponry and the mysteries of spycraft. In “The Fox,” as in all his novels, he lays them out in brilliant detail

—— Washington Post

Outstanding … Frederick Forsyth does it again. For a story like this to work, the details have to be on point, and it’s clear that the author has done his homework as he breaks down how hackers work, often detailing their various methods and the different virtual traps they can set … just the kind of stunning, relevant, full-throttle story that thriller fans have been waiting for, and nobody delivers quite like Frederick Forsyth, one of the very best writers the genre has ever known’

—— Literary Hub

Rubin constructs a tantalising alternative world with 1950s Britain riven apart by its own version of the Berlin Wall - and all because the D-Day landings failed. Against this dystopian nightmare, the author overlays a murder mystery that's sure to appeal to fans of SS-GB, The Man in the High Castle, and Fatherland

—— David Young, CWA Dagger-winning author of Stasi Child

A gripping murder mystery set in an alternative 1950s Britain. Rubin's London, split between American and Soviet zones after a disastrous World War Two, is vividly realised and his story is elegantly constructed. One not to miss

—— William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

In the great tradition of SS-GB and Fatherland, Rubin's alternative-1950s murder mystery takes an ingenious premise - the Americans and the Soviets have carved up Britain between them after rescuing the country from the Nazis - and makes it come alive through sheer storytelling skill

—— Jake Kerridge

A twisting murder mystery combined with a chillingly plausible alternative history of a divided Cold War London. Brilliant.

—— Mason Cross, Richard and Judy bestselling author of The Samaritan

Liberation Square is a superb and intelligent piece of alternate history. By turns gripping, terrifying and trenchant, it is a remarkably assured debut making Rubin's name one to watch out for in the crowded crime landscape

—— Stav Sherez, Gold Dagger-winning author of The Intrusions

A brilliantly researched, shockingly plausible thriller set in an alternative Britain

—— Claire McGowan

A stunningly plotted debut, that drags you at break-neck-speed through a nightmare alternative world that is eerily realistic. A must read

—— Angela Clarke

There’s been something of a gothic revival in crime fiction recently… This elegant thriller skilfully updates the genre

—— John Williams , Mail on Sunday

Fabulously tense and spooky

—— Deirdre O'Brien , Best

An elegant and suspenseful Gothic chiller

—— Craig Brown , Mail on Sunday, *Books of the Year*

The Turn of the Key is a cracking read

—— Paul Donnelley , Daily Mirror

A page-turner… The Turn of the Key is at turns spooky, gothic and a compelling family drama. It’s also tightly-plotted throughout… propelled by a likeable protagonist and cleverly created feeling of unease

—— Alastair Mabbott , Herald

Prepare to feel suspense from the first gripping page to the last shocking twist

—— Chat Special

Søren Sveistrup, is clearly a master craftsman

—— Telegraph

Crime lovers, rejoice. This is a thrilling, fast-paced page-turner that promises to hook readers from the first page

—— Eastern Daily Press

A superb debut novel from the writer behind hit TV series The Killing. This book grips you from the out and boils and boils to an almost sickening conclusion. It just does not let up

—— Eastern Daily Press

Chilling psychological drama

—— Mail Online

This one will have your heart in your mouth

—— Digital Spy

Sveistrup keeps the reader gripped until the very end

—— Dagbladenes Bureau

I was completely blown away by this debut novel

—— sidsesbogreol.dk

Sveistrup sets new standards in crime

—— bogfriisen.dk

Nerve-racking, you're sitting on the edge of your seat, and by the time you've finished the book you've got no nails left

—— Livetidukkehuset.dk

Simply an unparalleled page-turner

—— Ord fra en bibliofil

Absolutely fantastic crime novel. The plot keeps you gripped, and you always end up wanting to read just one more page. Nerve-racking. Nail-biting. Thrilling. Hair-raising

—— Krummeskrummelurer.dk

Not all good scriptwriters can produce a detective story designed to be read rather than watched on TV. But Søren Sveistrup, the man responsible for The Killing, proves . . . that it can be done . . . The characters, the plot with its deep, eerie undercurrent of the unknown, and the intense, compelling manipulation of suspense are qualities reminiscent of The Killing

—— Marie Louise Toksvig

This nerve-racking debut novel has a brilliant plot . . .

—— Ugebladet Søndag

A powerful portrait of two intriguing detectives who are here to stay . . .

—— Vildmedkrimi.dk

Simply so well written, well constructed and suspenseful. I've read a lot of fantastic crime novels, but this is far and away the best I've read in a long time. . . . insanely suspenseful and gripping

—— RandiGlensbo.dk

Crime fiction of the highest quality - fascinating characters, great storytelling, and unbearable suspense. I absolutely loved it

—— Deon Meyer

Sveistrup is a skilled weaver of plot, able to surprise the reader and maintain a well-developed sense of pacing, tension and action. He keeps the reader hooked until the final page

—— Bok 365

The ingredients in this stew are familiar to everyone who reads crime novels. Sveistrup's great skill becomes apparent in the solid, complex plot, as well as in the pacing and impact that drives the reader onward page after page. The Chestnut Man is a demonstration of how a novel of this type should be sewn together. The result is incredibly thrilling!

—— Dagbladet

While other writers come across as formulaic, Sveistrup's plot develops naturally, and he finds space amid the child abuse and harassment for enough injections of humanity that The Chestnut Man never turns into violence porn, a stumbling block for several of his Danish colleagues. The key is Thulin and Hess, the most promising pair of investigators in Nordic crime since Saga and Martin first met over a corpse on a bridge in 2011

—— A-magsinet

Individual scenes in the narrative stand out knife-sharp in all their calculated evil. Their encounter with brutal reality nearly overwhelms those involved, and the reader is profoundly challenged by the novel's material. But you survive because you retain a clear sense that there must be a deep well of sorrow behind the crimes, and because the author depicts his cast of characters in such a nuanced way that you sympathise with the hard-pressed investigative team, the victims, and the person behind the terrible murders. Sveistrup keeps the reader gripped until the very end. This is professional writing in the very best sense, and I'm looking forward to more.

—— Dagbladenes Bureau

The Chestnut Man is an intensely gripping first novel that feels anything but debut-like. Seasoned crime fans with feel as though they're in very safe hands ... [Sveistrup] throws his hat into the ring with extreme professionalism and a talent for deploying his special tricks in precisely calibrated doses.

—— Børsen

Praise for The Killing

—— -

Excellent . . . A shrewd mix of police procedural, political thriller and domestic drama

—— New York Times

TV of the absolute finest quality . . . the writing shines

—— Guardian

A gripping psychological thriller.

—— Choice magazine

This is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year.

—— Ronnie Turner (Blog)

Featuring two entangled families and a house with the darkest of secrets, this is a compulsive new thriller from Lisa Jewell.

—— Sheer Luxe

From the first page we were hooked. If you’ve got a lazy day planned over the Christmas break, this is the type of novel you could read in a day…It makes us shiver just sharing the plot and we guarantee you’ll be on the edge of your seats throughout.

—— Yahoo! Style UK

Of the crop of great thrillers out this year, this is my pick [...] Lisa Jewell is brilliant at creating a menacing atmosphereand this is almost unbearably tense at times, with a knock-the-wind-out-of-you ending.

—— Good Housekeeping

An enthralling tale rich in psychological suspense that mixes family saga with domestic noir.

—— Vouchercodes

Part family saga and part-psychological thriller, this is an exceptional read.

—— Sunday Express

Breathtaking thriller

—— i Paper

Perfect book to inhale by the fire. Had no idea how creepy and nuanced it would be but couldn’t put it down and stayed up half the night reading it. Highly recommend.

—— iNews
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