Simon Beckett

The chemistry of death

Written in Bone

Whispers of the Dead

*THE BRAND NEW DR DAVID HUNTER NOVEL - the David Hunter television series THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH debuts on Paramount+ on 19 Jan 23 * "The dead didn't frighten me. It was the living that gave me nightmares." An atmospheric and utterly gripping mystery set in the shadows of the Welsh mountains, that will chill the reader to their very bones Driving back through Wales in a fierce winter storm, forensic anthropologist David Hunter is forced to seek shelter at a remote village in the Eryri mountains. But a one-night stop-over becomes something very different after a gruesome discovery in depths of the local forest. With communications down and the only road washed out by the storm, Hunter is unsure who - if anyone - he can trust. And as long-buried secrets begin to emerge, he's knows that, whatever dark past the isolated community might be hiding, there's no one he can call on for help. This time he's on his own. Forensic anthropologist David Hunter is back in this pulse-pounding thriller that explores the wildness and danger of rural life and the intensity of small-town claustrophobia.

The Bone Garden

Asche ist alles, was von ihr übrig geblieben ist. Fast alles. Als der Rechtsmediziner David Hunter die Überreste der Frau in einem verfallenen Cottage auf der schottischen Insel Runa zum ersten Mal erblickt, weiss er sofort: Dieser Tod war kein Unfall. Er will seine Erkenntnisse dem Superintendenten mitteilen, doch die Leitung ist tot. Ein Sturm hat die Insel von der Aussenwelt abgeschnitten. Da geschieht ein weiterer Mord.

Thriller

Kalte Asche

David Hunter war Englands berühmtester Rechtsmediziner. Aber er hat seinen Beruf aufgegeben und sich inkognito nach Devonshire in ein kleines Dorf zurückgezogen. Dort arbeitet er seit ein paar Jahren als Assistent des Arztes, als sein friedliches Landlebe

Die Chemie des Todes

The Chemistry of Death

‘Composed of over sixty per cent water itself, a human body isn’t naturally buoyant. It will float only for as long as there is air in its lungs, before gradually sinking to the bottom as the air seeps out. If the water is very cold or deep, it will remain there, undergoing a slow, dark dissolution that can take years. But if the water is warm enough for bacteria to feed and multiply, then it will continue to decompose. Gases will build up in the intestines, increasing the body’s buoyancy until it floats again. And the dead will literally rise . . . ‘ Once one of the country’s most respected forensics experts, Dr David Hunter is facing an uncertain professional – and personal – future. So when he gets a call from Essex police, he’s eager for the chance to assist them. A badly decomposed body has been found in a desolate area of tidal mudflats and saltmarsh called the Backwaters. Under pressure to close the case, the police want Hunter to help with the recovery and identification. It’s thought the remains are those of Leo Villiers, the son of a prominent businessman who vanished weeks ago. To complicate matters, it was rumoured that Villiers was having an affair with a local woman. And she too is missing. But Hunter has his doubts about the identity. He knows the condition of the unrecognizable body could hide a multitude of sins. Then more remains are discovered – and these remote wetlands begin to give up their secrets . . . With its eerie, claustrophobic sense of place, viscerally authentic detail and explosive heart-in-mouth moments, The Restless Dead offers a masterclass in crime fiction and marks the stunning return of one of the genre’s best.

David Hunter 5

The Restless Dead

After losing his wife, a man uncovers a shocking secret about the child she left behind in this gripping suspense novel from the acclaimed author. London-based photographer Ben Murray loves his wife, Sarah, and has been like a father to her autistic son, Jacob. But when Sarah suddenly dies, Ben is devastated. Though Jacob is a source of joy and comfort in this tragic time, Ben now faces the challenge of raising the boy alone. Then, while going through Sarah's old things, he finds proof that Jacob was never her child. Horrified to learn that Jacob had been kidnapped years ago, Ben sets out to find the boy's real family. But as he uncovers the truth about the family he once held dear, Ben is drawn into a web of lies, betrayal, and deadly obsession.

Owning Jacob

Seeking refuge from a tragic past, a forensic pathologist must search for a devious killer in a rural English village in this crime thriller series debut. Three years ago, Dr. David Hunter left London for rural Norfolk to escape the tragic loss of his wife and daughter. Giving up his career in criminal forensics, he now works as a simple country doctor in the village of Manham. But when the corpse of a woman is found in the woods, a macabre sign from her killer decorating her body, David struggles to remain uninvolved. As a newcomer, David finds he must join the investigation in order to avoid suspicion. When another woman disappears, the case becomes personal. This time, she is someone David knows—someone who has managed to get past the barrier around his heart. With the killer’s twisted methods screaming out to him and a brooding countryside beset with fear and distrust, David can feel the darkness gathering around him. As the clock ticks down on the young woman’s life, David must follow a macabre trail of clues—all the way to its final, horrifying conclusion. “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 forensic pathologist must once again confront a twisted serial killer in the international bestselling author's "bone-chillingly bleak" crime thriller (Financial Times). When Det. Insp. Terry Connor turns up on David Hunter's doorstep, it's an unwelcome reminder of the past in more ways than one. They had once worked together, recovering the victims of a serial killer on the bleak expanse of Dartmoor in Southern England. When Terry's behavior caused a bitter rift, the partnership ended. But now the serial killer--a psychotic rapist and murderer named Jerome Monk--has escaped from high-security prison. And he seems to be targeting anyone involved with the search. David has no choice but to return to his past that is far from dead and buried--especially when he receives a mysterious appeal for help from Sophie Keller, who also worked with the recovery team in Dartmoor. As he is drawn back into Jerome's twisted world, David discovers that nothing about the original case was what it seemed. And as the maniac's bloody trail edges ever closer, David is forced to question who he can really trust.

The Calling of the Grave

Als Jonah das Blut roch, war ihm klar, dass er in Schwierigkeiten steckte. Jonah Colley ist Mitglied einer bewaffneten Spezialeinheit der Londoner Polizei. Seit sein Sohn Theo vor zehn Jahren spurlos verschwand, liegt sein Leben in Scherben. Damals brach auch der Kontakt zu seinem besten Freund Gavin ab. Nun meldet Gavin sich überraschend und bittet um ein Treffen. Doch in dem verlassenen Lagerhaus findet Jonah nur seine Leiche, daneben drei weitere Tote. Fest in Plastikplane eingewickelt, sehen sie aus wie Kokons. Eines der Opfer ist noch am Leben. Und für Jonah beginnt ein Albtraum... Der Auftakt einer atemberaubenden neuen Thrillerserie von Bestsellerautor Simon Beckett.

Die Verlorenen

Dödens kemi

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)

The Scent of Death

A Química da Morte

Murmúrios da Morte

Untitled David Hunter Novel 6

Il St. Jude’s era uno dei più grandi ospedali di Londra, ma oggi è solo un guscio vuoto in attesa di essere demolito. Quando un corpo viene ritrovato nelle sue viscere, l’antropologo forense David Hunter è chiamato a dare il suo parere. Non sa dire con certezza da quanto tempo il corpo sia lì, ma è certo che si tratta di una giovane donna. E che era incinta. Poi una parte del soffitto crolla, e un altro segreto sepolto nell’ospedale torna a galla: una stanza murata che ospita diversi letti, alcuni ancora occupati. Nel frattempo, mentre la fidanzata Rachel è lontana, Hunter cerca di distrarsi prendendo a cuore il caso di Lola, un’anziana signora un po’ scorbutica che si occupa da sola del figlio colpito da ictus, e che David vorrebbe in qualche modo aiutare. Il fantasma di Grace Strachan, la psicopatica che ha cercato di ucciderlo, ancora aleggia nell’aria. Quello che sembrava un caso come tanti per il dottor Hunter diventa un incubo perverso, molto personale. E il St. Jude’s deve ancora reclamare la sua ultima vittima.

Il profumo della morte

Sean è in fuga. Non sappiamo perché e da chi stia scappando. Rimasto senza benzina sotto un impietoso sole, abbandona la sua auto e si addentra tra sentieri e campi inariditi. Nel tentativo di trovare un passaggio resta gravemente ferito da una tagliola, ma si risveglia a letto, in una splendida fattoria. Incerto se considerarsi un paziente o un prigioniero, ha poche alternative, se non quella di accettare le cure dell’enigmatica Mathilde e della sua precoce sorella, Gretchen.Vivono con il padre, Arnaud, disposto a tutto pur di difendere il suo piccolo mondo, e che manifesta subito la sua diffidenza per il giovane inglese. Nonostante questo, Sean rimane affascinato dal posto, tranquillo e isolato, insomma il nascondiglio perfetto... per morire. Simon Beckett torna con un thriller appassionante, dove anche il paradiso può diventare inferno, dove chi ti accudisce può rivelarsi il tuo aguzzino.

Il rifugio

L’improvvisa morte di Sarah lascia il fotografo londinese Ben Murray solo e con la responsabilità di crescere Jacob, il bambino autistico che la moglie ha avuto da una precedente relazione. Ma la scoperta tra i vestiti della donna di uno scrigno contenente ritagli di giornale sul rapimento di un bambino getta Ben nello sconforto: chi è veramente Jacob, e chi era Sarah, la persona con cui ha condiviso progetti e quotidianità? Nel tentativo di darsi una risposta, mentre i dubbi sembrano avere la meglio sulle certezze, Ben viene in contatto con il padre del bambino rapito, John Cole, un reduce dal fragile equilibrio mentale a cui l’esperienza della guerra e le tragedie della vita hanno lasciato profonde cicatrici. Eccentrico rispetto alla serie poliziesca con protagonista David Hunter, Jacob è un thriller psicologico dove in un crescendo di tensione si arriverà allo scontro frontale tra due ossessioni, altrettanto conturbanti e inesorabili, “per il bene di Jacob”, fino a un epilogo sconvolgente.

Simon Beckett

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