Synopses & Reviews
From one of Britain's leading crime writers -- Flesh and Blood, Ash and Bone -- comes his new book -- sure
to go straight to the top of the bestseller lists.
Will's first thought when he saw the man's face: it was like a glove that had been pulled inside out.
When police detective Will Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker are called upon to investigate the violent death of Stephen Bryan, a gay Cambridge academic, their first thoughts are of an ill-judged sexual encounter, of rough trade gone wrong.
But as their investigation widens, their attention focuses on the biography Bryan was writing about the life and death of fifties film star, Stella Leonard, whose death from drowning, when the car she was driving skidded mysteriously off a lonely Fenland road, uncannily echoed the climax of her most notorious film, Shattered Glass,
With Bryan's journalist sister egging them on, and bringing herself into mortal danger as she conducts her own investigation, Will and Helen gradually peel away the secrets of a family blighted by a lust for wealth and power and its own perverted sexuality.
From the Hardcover edition.
Review
PRAISE FOR JOHN HARVEY"Harvey is stealthy about drawing in readers. Nothing too obvious, just the relentless hunt for a killer that got away from him before. And might again."--New York Daily News "Harvey is a skilled and meticulous writer, able to portray humanity's dark side as well as the reined-in emotions of his decent but wounded protagonist."--The Denver Post
Synopsis
When police detective Will Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker, investigate the violent death of Stephen Bryan, a gay academic, their first thoughts are of an ill-judged sexual encounter or a fatal lovers quarrel. But they soon shift focus to the book Bryan was writing about the life and mysterious death of fifties film star Stella Leonard. While Bryans sister puts herself in danger by conducting her own investigation, Grayson and Walker peel away the secrets of a family blighted by a lust for wealth and power and by its perverted sexuality. On the heels of his critically acclaimed Frank Elder series, John Harvey delivers a page-turner both subtle and devastating.
Synopsis
When police detective Will Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker, investigate the violent death of Stephen Bryan, a gay academic, their first thoughts are of an ill-judged sexual encounter or a fatal lovers quarrel: The mans face was like a glove that had been pulled inside out. But after they notice Bryans computer is missing, their focus soon widens. Could the attack be connected to the book Bryan was writing about the life and mysterious death of fifties film star Stella Leonard?
Convinced that Bryan had discovered a shocking truth about Leonards rich and influential family, his sister Lesley throws herself into her own amateur investigation. But as Grayson and Walker delve into the past and the circumstances of Bryans death, they find a vortex of lust, power, and wealth in which nothing is straightforwardand no one is safe.
On the heels of his acclaimed Frank Elder series, John Harvey delivers a page-turner both subtle and devastating.
About the Author
JOHN HARVEY is the author of ten previous Charlie Resnick novels and the Frank Elder series, and a recipient of the Silver Dagger Award, the Barry Award, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement, among other honors. He lives in London.