Description

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A forensics pathologist discovers evidence of murder—and worse—inside an abandoned hospital in this crime thriller: “A superbly strong read” (The Times, London).
 
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. David 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. For David, what began as a straightforward case is about to become a twisted nightmare—and it soon becomes clear that St. Jude’s hasn’t claimed its last victim.
 
“Simon Beckett’s sixth novel featuring the forensic anthropologist David Hunter is arguably his best.” —The Times (London)

About the Author

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Simon Beckett is the international bestselling author of the David Hunter thrillers. His books have been translated into twenty-nine languages, appeared in the Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller list, and sold more than ten million copies worldwide. A former freelance journalist who has written for the Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Independent on Sundayand the Observer, Beckett’s inspiration for the first David Hunter novel came after a visit to the world-renowned Body Farm in Tennessee introduced him to the work of forensic anthropologists.

As well as co-winning the Ripper Award in 2018/19, the largest European crime prize, Beckett won the Raymond Chandler Society’s ‘Marlowe’ Award and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, CWA Dagger in the Library, and Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year.

In addition to his David Hunter series, Beckett has written five standalone novels, one of which, Where There’s Smoke, was adapted into a major two-part drama.

Praise For…

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Praise for Simon Beckett

“Brilliantly original . . . Simon’s first crime novel The Chemistry of Death absolutely blew me away and he just gets better by the book!” —Peter James, UK No. 1 bestselling author

“A satisfyingly dark and twisting thriller.” —The Mail on Sunday

“Beckett’s masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads” —Tess Gerritsen, author of New York Times–bestseller Harvest

“The forensics are chillingly authentic, the writing is both taut and atmospheric.” —Anne Cleeves, bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope series

“Terrifying . . . Rarely have the mechanics of suspense been so effectively realized outside an Alfred Hitchcock movie.” —Daily Express

“Beckett is one of the country’s best crime writers . . . His books are intelligent, beautifully written and utterly gripping.” —Sunday Express