Alison Bruce – författare

TWO BODIES. TWO DECADES APART. ONE DEADLY CONNECTION. When an arson attack reveals a fresh corpse alongside remains from nearly twenty years ago, DS Ronnie Blake and Cambridge's special investigations unit, known as the DEAD team, must investigate both to find the connection. Their only lead is Mariel Quinn, who, as a child, survived her mother's abduction and presumed murder.Mariel remembers nothing, except a single, haunting phrase she repeated over and over. Now, as long-buried secrets resurface, the team must untangle a mystery long thought lost, before the killer strikes again.Praise for Alison Bruce'A powerful and absorbing story that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading. A writer at the top of her game' ELLY GRIFFITHS'Admirers of Bruce's superb DC Goodhew series will seize on this . . . engrossing, and with plot twists that keep you guessing till the end, this is a brilliant start to what promises to be a terrific new series' CHRISTINA KONING'Superb! Ronnie Blake will become a household name alongside crime fiction's top protagonists. Because You Looked Away is gripping, clever and utterly authentic' GRAHAM BARTLETT'Because She Looked Away is fast paced, twisty, clever, and satisfying, an engaging start to a new series from an established author' EMILY WINSLOW'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily Mail

Joey McCarthy is stabbed to death in a pub car park in a random act of violence. Shortly afterwards Charlotte Stone's terminally ill mother dies and then, within weeks, two of her teenage friends commit suicide. With her home life disintegrating and both her father and brother racing towards self-destruction Charlotte realises that her own personal nightmare may not be over yet. When DC Gary Goodhew finds the body of another suicide victim he is forced to recall some deeply buried memories of an earlier death; memories which lead him to Charlotte Stone and the events in her life. From their individual points of view they both begin to wonder whether all these tragedies are somehow linked to a bigger picture. And if they are right, then who will be the next victim? Praise for Cambridge Blue: 'You are pulled in relentlessly as Bruce racks up the tension. Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel'. R. J. Ellory 'An exciting debut from a very promising new talent.'. Paul Johnstone

A fresh start in a place you hate. Even tougher with a killer watching...Jane Osborne left Cambridge and vowed she'd never return. An unexpected twist of fortune results in DC Goodhew bringing her back to the remnants of her old life and a confrontation with the man who killed her sister. Meanwhile a burning car on the outskirts of Cambridge leads to the discovery of the body of its owner, Paul Marshall. There seems nothing to connect it to either a recent assault, or to Jane Osborne, until a shocking discovery rips Goodhew's investigation apart.

'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailThe promise seemed simple. The scars would last a lifetime.In a single night, Kyle Phipps's life is derailed. His relationship is over, he is denied access to his young son and everything important to him is at risk.His thoughts stumble between fear and revenge. Kyle Phipps has a choice to make.Meanwhile, after the tragic end to a previous case, DC Gary Goodhew finds himself questioning his reasons for returning to work until the badly beaten body of a homeless man is found on Market Hill. Having known the homeless man for several years Goodhew feels compelled to be part of the investigation - but routine lines of enquiry soon take a dark and unexpected turn...Suddenly the Cambridge back streets hold deadly secrets for Goodhew and the only person who has the answers is planning one final, desperate act.Praise for Cambridge Blue:'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory'A fast-paced gritty tale guaranteed to have you hooked from beginning to end' Cambridgeshire Pride'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style

A cold case waits to be solved ...and a killer waits in the wings. Amy was seven years old when her father was arrested for murder. His subsequent trial and conviction scarred her childhood and cast a shadow over her life until, twenty-two years later, new evidence suggests he was innocent and Amy sets out to clear his name. But Amy is not the only person troubled by the past. DC Gary Goodhew is haunted by the day his grandfather was murdered and is still searching for answers, determined to uncover the truth about his grandfather's death and find his killer. But, right now, someone is about to die. Someone who has secrets and who once kept quiet but is now living on borrowed time. Someone who will be murdered because disturbing the past has woken a killer.

'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie HannahFrom the first time I saw them together I knew it felt wrong. I didn't like the way he touched her or the self-conscious way he played with Molly and Luke. Joanne saw none of it of course. So I did it to prove to her that she was wrong. I did it for us.Emily's instincts tell her that best friend Joanne's new boyfriend is bad news. Emily fears for Joanne. Fears for Joanne's children. But Joanne won't listen because she's in love. So Emily watches, and waits . . . and then she makes a choice. But Emily has a past, and secrets too. And is she really as good a friend to Joanne as she claims?'Never before have I read such a compelling, chilling read that kept me intrigued from beginning to end . . . If you adore psychological thrillers and books such as The Girl on the Train, then this is a must read!' Red Headed Book Lover Blog'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings

'Alison Bruce always delivers. Her latest is tense, twisty, terrific' Ian Rankin' [Alison Bruce] has written a superior thriller, full of suppressed menace' The Times Crime Club'A powerful and absorbing story that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading. A writer at the top of her game' Elly Griffiths'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie Hannah'Alison Bruce has long been one of the most adroit crime fiction practitioners in the UK. The Moment Before Impact is . . . her most accomplished outing yet' Barry Forshaw, Financial Times_________A terrible car accident - or calculated murder?An evening out for five students ends in tragedy, with two dead and one critically injured. Nicci Waldock survives, but her life is left in tatters. Years later, a sighting of Jack Bailey, the brother of her dead friend, leaves her with a shocking realisation about the night of the accident.Helped by former journalist Celia Henry, Nicci sets out to learn the truth about what really happened, and discovers a series of lies and dangerous secrets that have distorted everything she thinks she knows.In uncovering the tangled truth of what happened that night three years ago, Nicci must decide who she can trust, and who is about to kill again. And she realises that everything can be saved or lost in the moment before impact.__________Praise for Alison Bruce'As always, Bruce produces a rewarding read' The Times'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily Mail

'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie HannahA terrible car accident - or calculated murder?An evening out for five students ends in tragedy, with two dead and one critically injured. Nicci Waldock survives, but her life is left in tatters. Years later, a sighting of Jack Bailey, the brother of her dead friend, leaves her with a shocking realisation about the night of the accident.Helped by former journalist Celia Henry, Nicci sets out to learn the truth about what really happened, and discovers a series of lies and dangerous secrets that have distorted everything she thinks she knows.In uncovering the tangled truth of what happened that night three years ago, Nicci must decide who she can trust, and who is about to kill again. And she realises that everything can be saved or lost in the moment before impact.Praise for Alison Bruce'As always, Bruce produces a rewarding read' The Times'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily Mail

'A powerful and absorbing story that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading. A writer at the top of her game' Elly Griffiths'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily Mail'Admirers of Bruce's superb DC Goodhew series will seize on this - the first book in her new Cambridge-set series. Utterly engrossing, and with plot twists that keep you guessing till the end, this is a brilliant start to what promises to be a terrific new series.' Christina Koning'Superb! Ronnie Blake will become a household name alongside crime fiction's top protagonists. Because You Looked Away is gripping, clever and utterly authentic' Graham Bartlett'Because She Looked Away is fast paced, twisty, clever, and satisfying, an engaging start to a new series from an established author' Emily WinslowAfter the sudden death of her sister, devastated detective DS Ronnie Blake relocates to Cambridge to help her brother Alex raise their sister's young son, Noah. She reports for her first day but instead finds herself being questioned by a special investigations unit, nicknamed the DEAD Team.With a small group of six, led by DI Fenton, the once-successful DEAD team has a single outstanding case, Operation Byron, and the failure to resolve it threatens the unit's existence. Their most promising lead is an anonymous note linking three seemingly unconnected people: a convicted fraudster, a dead academic... and Ronnie's sister Jodie.When Ronnie is denied information about Operation Byron, she follows a lead slipped to her by Malachi, the youngest member of the team, and makes a discovery which links Operation Byron to a disturbing unsolved murder. She is rapidly drawn into an intricate web of deceit, buried secrets and tragedy and the discovery that her connection to Cambridge is far darker than she could ever have guessed. Praise for Alison Bruce'Alison Bruce always delivers. Her latest is tense, twisty, terrific' Ian Rankin' [Alison Bruce] has written a superior thriller, full of suppressed menace' The Times Crime Club'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie Hannah'Alison Bruce has long been one of the most adroit crime fiction practitioners in the UK. The Moment Before Impact is . . . her most accomplished outing yet' Barry Forshaw, Financial Time'As always, Bruce produces a rewarding read' The Times'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings

'Admirers of Bruce's superb DC Goodhew series will seize on this - the first book in her new Cambridge-set series. Utterly engrossing, and with plot twists that keep you guessing till the end, this is a brilliant start to what promises to be a terrific new series.' Christina Koning'A powerful and absorbing story that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading. A writer at the top of her game' Elly Griffiths'Because She Looked Away is fast paced, twisty, clever, and satisfying, an engaging start to a new series from an established author' Emily Winslow'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily MailAfter the sudden death of her sister, devastated detective DS Ronnie Blake relocates to Cambridge to help her brother Alex raise their sister's young son, Noah. She reports for her first day but instead finds herself being questioned by a special investigations unit, nicknamed the DEAD Team.With a small group of six, led by DI Fenton, the once-successful DEAD team has a single outstanding case, Operation Byron, and the failure to resolve it threatens the unit's existence. Their most promising lead is an anonymous note linking three seemingly unconnected people: a convicted fraudster, a dead academic... and Ronnie's sister Jodie.When Ronnie is denied information about Operation Byron, she follows a lead slipped to her by Malachi, the youngest member of the team, and makes a discovery which links Operation Byron to a disturbing unsolved murder. She is rapidly drawn into an intricate web of deceit, buried secrets and tragedy and the discovery that her connection to Cambridge is far darker than she could ever have guessed. Praise for Alison Bruce'Alison Bruce always delivers. Her latest is tense, twisty, terrific' Ian Rankin' [Alison Bruce] has written a superior thriller, full of suppressed menace' The Times Crime Club'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie Hannah'Alison Bruce has long been one of the most adroit crime fiction practitioners in the UK. The Moment Before Impact is . . . her most accomplished outing yet' Barry Forshaw, Financial Time'As always, Bruce produces a rewarding read' The Times'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings

'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailKaye Whiting went to buy a birthday present and didn't come back. She isn't dead, or physically injured. But she is alone and very, very scared.Fifty miles away in Cambridge town centre a deeply disturbed young woman is standing by a payphone. She knows she often feels compelled to do harmful things and is driven by a desire to make a call. DC Gary Goodhew is one of the detectives assigned to find Kaye and when her body is discovered the only clue to the potential murderer is a woman's voice on his answerphone saying, 'Kaye isn't the first and won't be the last...'Praise for Cambridge Blue:'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory'A fast-paced gritty tale guaranteed to have you hooked from beginning to end' Cambridgeshire Pride'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style

‘An insightful and gripping account that will take you into the dark but fascinating world of a Victorian executioner.’ – Stewart P. EvansBetween 1884 and 1905 James Billington and his three sons, Thomas, William and John, were responsible for 235 executions in Victorian Great Britain and Ireland. They hanged many notorious murderers, but equally fascinating is the story of the family. Did James really feel he served society and justice, or did this position satisfy something more personal?Billington: Victorian Executioner provides a complete account of the stories behind James Billington’s executions, as well as the real man behind the rope – a man whose business was death. This enthralling biography is an exciting addition to any true crime bookshelf.

'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailDC Gary Goodhew is intelligent, intuitive and the youngest detective at Cambridge's Parkside Station. He is the first on the scene when the body of a young woman is discovered on Midsummer Common and for the first time in his career is given the chance to work on a murder investigation.Soon there is an identity for the victim: Lorna Spence. Richard Moran, her boyfriend and employer, has reported her missing and is distraught to discover that she has been killed. He claims she was loved by his staff and his sisters, reserved Alice and vulnerable Jackie. He says she had no enemies but it isn't long before Goodhew discovers plenty, including her high maintenance colleague Victoria and Goodhew's reckless former classmate Bryn.They both swear that they have nothing to do with Lorna's death but Goodhew knows someone is lying. Then there is another brutal murder and Goodhew knows it is time to use his own initiative to flush out the killer, even though it means risking his job and discovering the truth about the one person he hopes will be innocent.'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory