BooksBarbecue
Back What Lies Beneath Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
  2. Get more of my books FREE!
  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

DI Caroline Hills knows this isn't a suicide. It's murder. And when a second apparent suicide appears in Rutland, Caroline uncovers a shocking link: the victims knew each other.

As Rutland Police fight to catch the killer, a group of friends is left with an even more shocking realisation. One of them is the murderer. And one of them will be the next to die.

‘Incredible’ — BBC News

‘A sensation’ — The Guardian

Out 29th September 2020

Click here to pre-order your copy now

Acknowledgments

Well, you either stuck through it to the end or you’ve skipped to this page in an attempt to find out who the killer is without having to read it. If it’s the former, thank you. If it’s the latter, my apologies; you need to flick back a few pages.

I should make an admission. Rutland Police doesn’t actually exist. There. I’ve said it. My dirty secret is out. In reality, crime in Rutland (of which there is very little) is dealt with admirably and very capably by Leicestershire Police, who maintain small departments in Oakham and Uppingham, one of which I have shamelessly re-appropriated as a much more in-depth headquarters for my fictional Rutland Police.

In fact, I’ve taken many liberties when it comes to the policing and procedure, as I do in most of my books. There’s an old adage I can’t be bothered to Google that basically says it’s better to learn everything and choose what not to use than to go in ignorantly. When it comes to police procedure and detail that I’ve learnt and chosen not to use — or, more likely, forgotten — I owe a great debt of thanks to the numerous serving and ex-police officers who have helped me over the years and continue to do so now.

Much of my policing knowledge has come from David Parry, a former detective with Leicestershire Police, who helped me get my procedure on track many years before I ever imagined setting a book on his doorstep.

More recently, my friend and ex-Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett has got me out of numerous holes and suggested a number of ways in which I could improve the police procedure and, ultimately, stories I write.

To those serving police officers who’d rather remain nameless but are nonetheless incredibly patient and helpful in response to my endless text messages and daft questions, thank you.

The fact is real-life policing is actually quite dull. I’m well aware no-one wants to read books about huge teams of people doing endless shift work, suffering office politics and growing piles of paperwork (and if you do, you really must get a life). Of course, story must win out. I hope I’ve at least managed to nail that bit.