Atmospheric, perfectly paced, compelling plot with a great central character in the agoraphobic psychologist Alice Quentin. A highly recommended and very accomplished London-based crime debut – we look forward to the next in the series.
Click here to see a Google map featuring some of the favourite running routes of the book's protagonist, Alice Quentin.
Mulholland Books presents...CROSSBONES YARD Ray and Marie Benson killed 13 women before they were caught, tried and imprisoned. Five of their victims were never found. Six years later, psychologist Alice Quentin discovers a woman's body on the waste ground at Crossbones Yard. The wounds are horrifyingly similar to the Bensons' signature style. But who would want to copy their crimes?
When Alice is called in to consult, her first instinct is to say no. She wants to focus on treating her patients, not analysing the mind of a murderer. But the body at Crossbones Yard is just the start, and the killer may already be closer than Alice knows.
'Like Nicci French, Kate Rhodes excels at character, pace and sense of place. Alice Quentin is compelling and completely convincing: I look forward to following the series.' Erin Kelly
'An utterly brilliant, exhilarating read and I devoured every page. The characters, especially the bold and brave heroine, are touchingly real. Now that I've finished it I feel bereft, the only consolation being that it's the start of an Alice Quentin series and although I have a while to wait, I will get to read more.' Elizabeth Haynes, author of In the Darkest Corner, Amazon Rising Star 2011 and TV Book Club pick
'A very impressive debut. After a powerful opening, Kate's vivid, pacy writing style swept me into the story. Alice is a very strong character, and the well-constructed, complex plot kept me intrigued right up to the end' Aline Templeton
'A fresh voice in crime fiction, bringing an intriguing and appealing central character in the form of psychologist Alice Quentin - who I expect to be with us for a long time to come. I loved the way the Kate Rhodes uses all the senses to draw the reader into her compelling fictional world.' Stephen Booth
'An atmospheric, smart, often terrifying read.'
Louise Penny
Author
About Kate Rhodes
Kate Rhodes was born in London. She completed a doctorate in American literature, then taught English at universities in Britain and the United States. She has published two collections of poetry, Reversal and The Alice Trap, and her writing has won a number of awards and been shortlisted for prizes including the Forward Prize. She currently works as an educational consultant, and lives in Cambridge with her husband, a writer and film maker.