Simon Beckett was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library 2009 - the prize awarded for an author's body of work.
A thrilling, twisted story with the resolution both expected and unexpected but the finale is a complete surprise – wow. Set on a remote island in the Outer Hebrides, cut off by bad weather, it involves murders, revenge and madness and is the second from this excellent author who is well worth investing in. I think he is terrific.
* Don't miss 'THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH' TV SERIES - now streaming on Paramount+ *
Adapted from The Chemistry of Death and Written in Bone - starring Harry Treadaway as Dr David Hunter
A killer on the loose. A murder disguised as an accident . . .
As a favour to a colleague, Dr David Hunter is on the remote Hebridean island of Runa to inspect a grisly discovery. He's familiar with death in all its guises but is shocked by what he finds: a body, incinerated but for the feet and a single hand.
It appears to be a textbook case of spontaneous human combustion.
The local police are certain it's an accidental death but to Hunter the scorched remains suggest otherwise,
And as the isolated community considers the enormity of Hunter's findings, a catastrophic storm hits the island. The power goes down, communication with the outside world ceases . . .
