Richard Montanari – författare

Nothing will ever be the same again . . .

In the heart of Philadelphia’s badlands, Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano are called out to a particularly chilling crime scene. Once the pillar of the neighbourhood, an abandoned church has become a killing room. At first it looks like a random act of violence. But then a second body is found, and a third. Each crime scene more disturbing than the last, each murder more brutal. And it soon becomes horrifyingly clear that a cold, calculating and terrifyingly precise mind is at work. With very few leads, and a mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead, Byrne and Balzano are faced with challenges they could never have imagined as they race against time to hunt down their killer, before it’s too late . . .

Discover what readers around the world already know: Richard Montanari’s novels are “relentlessly suspenseful” (Tess Gerritsen)

“Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense.” –Chris Ewan

A haunting, nerve-jangling psychological thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Montanari, set in a small town hiding a very dark secretNew York psychologist Will Hardy had it all—a loving family, a flourishing career, a bestselling book. Until the night it all ended in a tempest of fire and ash, leaving only Will and his fifteen-year-old daughter Bernadette to stand in the ruins. 

Haunted and grief-stricken, Will accepts an enigmatic invitation from his family’s past to begin their lives anew in the small town of Abbeville, Ohio.

Meanwhile, Abbeville Chief of Police Ivy Holgrave is investigating the death of a local girl, convinced this may only be the latest in a long line of murders dating back decades—including her own long-missing sister.

But what place does Will''s new home have in the story of the missing girls? And what links the killings to the diary of a young woman written over a century earlier? The disappearances in Abbeville have happened before, and now Will’s own daughter might be next…

Meet the young Detective Kevin Byrne, rising star of the Philadelphia police force.Christmas Eve, 1988. Partnered with streetwise veteran Frankie Sheehan, Byrne is called out on a freezing night to investigate the brutal assault of a young woman in a crime-ridden neighbourhood, The Devil''s Pocket.There, with the rest of the city celebrating, relentless rookie Byrne must step out from his partner''s shadow to outwit a terrifying predator on the same vicious city streets he will later revisit with his future partner, Jessica Balzano.This ebook-exclusive short story also includes the opening of Richard Montanari''s terrifying new novel, The Doll Maker.

''Glittering and sharp, an ice pick of a novel. An astounding talent''AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the WindowA haunting, nerve-jangling psychological thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Montanari set in a small town hiding a very dark secret.When New York psychologist Will Hardy''s wife is killed, he and his teenage daughter Bernadette move into Godwin Hall, a dusty, shut-up mansion in the small town of Abbeville, Ohio.Meanwhile, Abbeville Chief of Police Ivy Holgrave is investigating the death of a local girl, convinced this may only be the latest in a long line of murders dating back decades - including her own long-missing sister.But what place does Will''s new home have in the story of the missing girls? And what links the killings to the diary of a young woman written over a century earlier?Praise for Richard Montanari''A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly''Tess Gerritsen''You turn the pages as if your very life depends on it''Daily Mail''The author''s elegiac tone takes the curse off this blood-drenched thriller . . . Gripping''New York Times (the 10 best crime novels of 2016)''A master storyteller''James Ellroy''Scary good!''Lisa Gardner''Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense''Chris Ewan''A specialist in serial killer tales . . . a wonderfully evocative writer''Publishers WeeklyAmazon readers love Richard Montanari***** ''One of the best detective stories I have ever read''***** ''If you haven''t read these books yet.... START READING THEM!''***** ''Great plot and incredible pace. A real page turner''***** ''I couldn''t put it down - utterly absorbing and compelling!!''***** ''The last 20 pages had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my chair!''***** ''Absolutely brilliant - almost impossible to put down''***** ''Every once and while I read a classic which I''ll NEVER forget.This is a book I''ll never forget''***** ''This is a chillingly good read with a fast-paced storyline full of twists and turns''***** ''From start to finish, you never want to stop! You have to know what happened!''***** ''An outstanding tale with as many twists as a game of snakes and ladders''***** ''One of the best crime/thriller writers''***** ''Amazing''***** ''Richard Montanari never lets you down. The ending is always a surprise''***** ''So easy to pick up, so hard to put down''

''You turn the pages as if your very life depends on it'' - Daily Mail Destroyed by fire years ago, the infamous Philadelphia State Hospital was known as a warehouse for the criminally insane.But one man never left. By night Luther walks Philadelphia''s backstreets; by day he roams the catacombs beneath the city. Luther is everywhere and nowhere; he''s is in your dreams - and your nightmares. Then Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano are called to a bizarre murder scene: a man has been killed by a railroad spike driven into his head. But this is just the beginning of a trail of evil that will lead Byrne and Balzano back to the hospital, to a missing girl and to a horror they could never have imagined . . .Praise for Richard Montanari ''A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly'' Tess Gerritsen ''The author''s elegiac tone takes the curse off this blood-drenched thriller . . . Gripping'' New York Times (the 10 best crime novels of 2016) ''A master storyteller'' James Ellroy ''Scary good!'' Lisa Gardner ''Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense'' Chris Ewan ''A specialist in serial killer tales . . . a wonderfully evocative writer'' Publishers Weekly Amazon readers love Richard Montanari ***** ''One of the best detective stories I have ever read'' ***** ''If you haven''t read these books yet.... START READING THEM!'' ***** ''Great plot and incredible pace. A real page turner'' ***** ''I couldn''t put it down - utterly absorbing and compelling!!'' ***** ''The last 20 pages had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my chair!'' ***** ''Absolutely brilliant - almost impossible to put down'' ***** ''Every once and while I read a classic which I''ll NEVER forget.This is a book I''ll never forget'' ***** ''This is a chillingly good read with a fast-paced storyline full of twists and turns'' ***** ''From start to finish, you never want to stop! You have to know what happened!'' ***** ''An outstanding tale with as many twists as a game of snakes and ladders'' ***** ''One of the best crime/thriller writers'' ***** ''Amazing'' ***** ''Richard Montanari never lets you down. The ending is always a surprise'' ***** ''So easy to pick up, so hard to put down''

''You turn the pages as if your very life depends on it'' - Daily MailMr Marseille is polite, elegant, and erudite. He would do anything for his genteel true love Anabelle. And he is a psychopath.A quiet Philadelphia suburb. A woman cycles past a train depot with her young daughter. And there she finds a murdered girl posed on a newly painted bench. Strangled. Beside her is a formal invite to a tea dance in a week''s time.Seven days later, two more young victims are discovered in a disused house, posed on painted swings. At the scene is an identical invite. This time, though, there is something extra waiting for Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano.A delicate porcelain doll. It''s a message. And a threat.With Marseille and Anabelle stalking the city, Detectives Byrne and Balzano have just seven days to find the link between the murders before another innocent child is snatched from its streets.Praise for Richard Montanari ''A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly'' Tess Gerritsen ''The author''s elegiac tone takes the curse off this blood-drenched thriller . . . Gripping'' New York Times (the 10 best crime novels of 2016) ''A master storyteller'' James Ellroy ''Scary good!'' Lisa Gardner ''Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense'' Chris Ewan ''A specialist in serial killer tales . . . a wonderfully evocative writer'' Publishers Weekly Amazon readers love Richard Montanari ***** ''One of the best detective stories I have ever read'' ***** ''If you haven''t read these books yet.... START READING THEM!'' ***** ''Great plot and incredible pace. A real page turner'' ***** ''I couldn''t put it down - utterly absorbing and compelling!!'' ***** ''The last 20 pages had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my chair!'' ***** ''Absolutely brilliant - almost impossible to put down'' ***** ''Every once and while I read a classic which I''ll NEVER forget.This is a book I''ll never forget'' ***** ''This is a chillingly good read with a fast-paced storyline full of twists and turns'' ***** ''From start to finish, you never want to stop! You have to know what happened!'' ***** ''An outstanding tale with as many twists as a game of snakes and ladders'' ***** ''One of the best crime/thriller writers'' ***** ''Amazing'' ***** ''Richard Montanari never lets you down. The ending is always a surprise'' ***** ''So easy to pick up, so hard to put down''

''You turn the pages as if your very life depends on it''Daily MailFace your fears in the latest terrifying novel by the hugely acclaimed, bestselling master of the psychopath thriller.The Farren family has been a plague upon Philadelphia''s most dangerous neighbourhood, the Devil''s Pocket, for generations. There, row after row of tumbledown houses hide dark secrets - none darker than Billy, the youngest Farren.Afflicted by a syndrome that means he can''t recognise faces, Billy must use photographs to identify his family - and his victims. And when your life has bled away, he takes a final, gruesome picture for his wall.But what is the meaning of the horrific ritual Billy enacts with every murder? And is there any connection to a childhood event Detective Kevin Byrne has buried so well it''s hidden even from his former partner Jessica Balzano?Praise for Richard Montanari ''A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly'' Tess Gerritsen ''The author''s elegiac tone takes the curse off this blood-drenched thriller . . . Gripping'' New York Times (the 10 best crime novels of 2016) ''A master storyteller'' James Ellroy ''Scary good!'' Lisa Gardner ''Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense'' Chris Ewan ''A specialist in serial killer tales . . . a wonderfully evocative writer'' Publishers Weekly Amazon readers love Richard Montanari ***** ''One of the best detective stories I have ever read'' ***** ''If you haven''t read these books yet.... START READING THEM!'' ***** ''Great plot and incredible pace. A real page turner'' ***** ''I couldn''t put it down - utterly absorbing and compelling!!'' ***** ''The last 20 pages had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my chair!'' ***** ''Absolutely brilliant - almost impossible to put down'' ***** ''Every once and while I read a classic which I''ll NEVER forget.This is a book I''ll never forget'' ***** ''This is a chillingly good read with a fast-paced storyline full of twists and turns'' ***** ''From start to finish, you never want to stop! You have to know what happened!'' ***** ''An outstanding tale with as many twists as a game of snakes and ladders'' ***** ''One of the best crime/thriller writers'' ***** ''Amazing'' ***** ''Richard Montanari never lets you down. The ending is always a surprise'' ***** ''So easy to pick up, so hard to put down''

''The thing is, Detective... If you believe in God, you''ve got to believe in the Devil.''Deepest winter. Darkest Philadelphia.A murder shocks the frozen city - the most spectacular homicide in its 300-year-old history: an ex-cop has been lured to the basement of an abandoned chapel, wrapped in barbed wire - and kept alive for ten days.Twenty-four hours after the discovery, Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano find another victim in another church, encased in a pristine block of ice.Someone is transforming the city''s cathederals into killing rooms, someone who is determined to raise hell on earth.Packed with ingenious twists and relentless excitement, The Killing Room is a novel of blistering thrills and heart-stopping suspense.