A tight, clever, fiercely driven slice of crime fiction. This is the second in the ‘Joseph Stark’ series. Damaged and almost broken DC Stark, and his Met Police colleagues in the Murder Investigation Team have a double murder to solve, however events quickly overtake them and they end up in a desperate attempt to stop their world from imploding. Matthew Frank sets Stark centre stage, yet Stark’s friends and colleagues are an essential addition to the storyline, their thoughts and feelings add to the complexity of emotion I felt for Stark. Stark’s combat post-traumatic stress disorder eludes capture, Matthew Frank exposes the effects without sensationalisation. This is crime fiction with a wonderful blast of attitude; violence and fear flourish in different guises, twisting this tale into a mesmerising and thought-provoking read. ~ Liz Robinson
No longer a trainee but a freshly-minted Detective Constable, Joseph Stark finds himself working a double homicide. Thomas and Mary Chase were shot dead in their London home, and first impressions are that this is a burglary-gone-bad. But Stark is unconvinced. Burglary-Murders are usually a tragic case of unfortunate timing, but this felt like something else entirely. And when evidence arises to link this murder to a twenty year old cold case the hunt is well and truly on. Following If I Should Die this second novel starring Joseph Stark continues to deliver pitch perfect characterization and complex plotting.
'A gripping murder story ... Frank brilliantly maintains a balance between the demands of a complex plot and his character's difficulty in returning to civilian life ... an accomplished first novel' Sunday Times on If I Should Die
'Well researched and totally convincing, this is the first of several Stark books. Great news if they're as good as this' Sunday Mirror on If I Should Die
'A very powerful novel. The writing is so good that it is difficult to believe that this is a debut' New Books Magazine on If I Should Die
Author
About Matthew Frank
Matthew Frank lives in Kent with his wife and three young sons. Between family life and work as an architect he tries to squeeze in a bit of mountain biking, scuba diving and midnight writing. Between the Crosses is his second novel following on from If I Should Die.
