Splinter in the Blood

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.

“A taut and compelling thriller, as sharp as the thorns that feature in the plot.”

- Ann Cleeves

Ashley Dyer is the pseudonym for novelist Margaret Murphy working in consultation with policing and forensics expert, Helen Pepper.

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. She has written novels under her own name, and as A.D. Garrett.

Helen Pepper is a Senior Lecturer in Policing. She has been an analyst, Forensic Scientist, Scene of Crime Officer, CSI, and Crime Scene Manager, and has co-authored, 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 Non-Fiction Dagger award, and is Forensic Consultant on both the Vera and Shetland television series.

Twitter: @AshleyDyer2017

Website: Ashley-Dyer.com

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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