The Silent Dead by Marnie Riches

The Silent Dead by Marnie Riches

She was lying as if asleep on the wooden kitchen floor, beneath the fridge covered with a child's colourful crayon drawings. But her frozen expression showed she would never wake again...

When Detective Jackie Cooke is called out to the scene, she's expecting a routine check. The bottle of pills on the kitchen table, next to the note with the single word SORRY written in a shaky hand, make it seem obvious what's happened. But Jackie is shocked when she recognises her old schoolfriend Claire - and she is convinced Claire would never take her own life.

Determined to dig deeper, Jackie soon discovers evidence that proves her right: a roll of notes has been thrust down the victim's throat. And when she finds another woman killed in the same way, she realises someone may be targeting lonely single mothers. As Jackie talks to Claire's distraught children, one of them too young to understand his mummy is never coming home, she vows to find answers.

Both victims were in touch with someone calling himself Nice Guy - could he be the killer? Pursuing every clue, Jackie is sure she's found a match in dead-eyed Tyler, part of a dark world of men intent on silencing women for daring to reject them. But just as she makes the arrest, another single mother is found dead - a woman who never dated at all.

Forced to re-evaluate every lead she has, with her boss pressuring her to make a case against the obvious suspect, Jackie knows she is running out of time before another innocent woman is murdered. And, as a single mother herself, she cannot help but wonder if she is in the killer's sights. Can she uncover his true motivation and put an end to his deadly game... or will he find her first?

A completely unputdownable crime thriller that will have you reading long into the night. Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliott, Rachel McLean and Val McDermid.

See what readers are saying about The Silent Dead:

'A gripping and compelling read that I raced through over 24 hours... Highly recommended.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I had trouble putting this down ... A stunner I guarantee you'll put everything on hold until you arrive at the shocking final scenes ... a one-sit compulsive read... can't wait for more ' Goodreads reviewer

'Fantastic crime thriller... the most realistic fictional police officer on the shelves at the moment... she is a stunning character... compelling, unputdownable.' Nigel Adams Bookworm, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'From the title page to the last page, this is a cannot-put-down book.' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Addictive and suspenseful... kept me on the edge of my seat until the shocking twist... I was hooked... A true unputdownable crime thriller that will have you reading long into the night ' @rubie_reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Excellent... The twists are abundant, the pace is fast, there is plenty of tension until the last page.' Goodreads reviewer

'Terrific... gripping... a magnificent, thrilling and immensely satisfying book... Recommended ' NetGalley reviewer

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in north Manchester. Exchanging the spires of nearby Strangeways prison for those of Cambridge University, she gained a Masters in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist and professional fundraiser.
Her best-selling, award-winning George McKenzie crime thrillers, tackling the subject of trans-national trafficking, were inspired by her own time spent in The Netherlands. Dubbed the Martina Cole of the North, she is also the author of Born Bad and The Cover-Up - the critically acclaimed hit series about Manchester's notorious gangland.
Tightrope is the start of a brand new series, set mainly in the famous footballer-belt of Hale, Cheshire, and introducing quirky northern PI, Bev Saunders who risks everything to fight the corner of her vulnerable client. A second Bev Saunders novel will follow in early 2020. So far, Marnie has sold an impressive 250,000 books and counting...
When she isn't writing gritty, twisty crime-thrillers, Marnie also regularly appears on BBC Radio Manchester, commenting about social media trends and discussing the world of crime-fiction.