LoveReading Says
Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger 2009.
CWA Judges’ comments: ‘A very strong debut with a highly original female protagonist.’
This is a fantastic book that was deservedly shortlisted for a CWA Gold Dagger. It introduces a highly original female protagonist, Jenny Cooper, the troubled new coroner to the Severn Vale District in one of the most exciting new crime series in years. Jenny takes on the establishment in search of truth and justice whilst dealing with a broken personal life you can really relate to. We could not put the book down and can’t wait for the next in the series.
Click here to view some Reading Group questions for this title.
Jenny Cooper series:
1. The Coroner
2. The Disappeared
3. The Redeemed
Comparison: Lynda La Plante, Peter James, Mark Billingham.
Sarah Broadhurst
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About M. R. Hall
M. R. Hall lives and works in the Wye valley in South Wales. Born in London in 1967, he was educated at Hereford Cathedral School and Worcester College, Oxford, where he graduated in law.
During a career at the Bar, working mostly in the field of criminal law, he tried to learn the craft of screen writing, eventually getting his first commission in television writing an episode of the ITV hit series, Kavanagh QC starring John Thaw. He went on to write further episodes and shortly afterwards was commissioned to create a series for the new Channel Five, Wing And A Prayer. The first season earned him a BAFTA nomination in the best series category.
For over ten years Matthew has been a screen writer and producer, and has written over forty hours of prime time drama for BBC1 and ITV.
His debut novel, The Coroner, was published by Pan Macmillan in the UK in 2009 and has been nominated for the Crime Writer’s Association Gold Dagger in the best novel category.
The second novel in the series, The Disappeared, was published in the USA by Simon and Schuster on December 1st 2009 and in the UK by Pan Macmillan in January 2010. The third novel in the series, The Redeemed, is out in April 2011.
Translation rights to both The Coroner and The Disappeared have been sold across the world.
Matthew spends much of his spare time looking after his sixteen acres of woodland and working for the conservation of the countryside.
Click here to read a Q & A with this author.
Author photo © Alexander James
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