Blunt Force

From Lynda La Plante, the international bestselling author who "practically invented the thriller," (Karin Slaughter) comes a brilliant new page-turner that follows Jane Tennison into the salacious world of theatre to solve a brutal murder in the heart of London's West End Things can't get much worse for detective Jane Tennison. Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenaline-fuelled Flying Squad, she now plies her trade in Gerald Road, a small and sleepy police station in the heart of London's affluent Knightsbridge. With only petty crime to sink her teeth into, Tennison can feel her career slowly flatlining. That is until the discovery of the most brutal murder Jane has ever seen: Charlie Foxley has been found viciously beaten to death with a cricket bat - his body dismembered and disembowelled. As a big-time theatrical agent, Foxley had a lot of powerful friends - but just as many enemies. And alongside her old friend DS Spencer Gibbs, Tennison must journey into the salacious world of show business to find out which one is the killer, before they strike again. The First Book In A Brand-new Series By The Queen Of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante. Millions Of Stolen, Untraceable Bank Notes Lie Untouched In An Old Victorian Cottage, The Hidden Legacy Of The Dolly Rawlins And Her Widows. But The Millions Are Not Forgotten. Released From Prison, Esther Freeman Is Determined To Retrieve The Money. And So Too Is Mike Withey, Shirley Miller's Brother And Audrey's Son. When A Fire Breaks Out At The Derelict Cottage, With A Badly Charred Body Inside Along With What Looks Like Thousands Of Burnt Bank Notes, It Attracts The Attention Of The Police And One Young Detective In Particular, Jack Warr. Jack's Investigation Into The Fire, And The Burnt Body Inside, Coincide With An Investigation Into His Own Past. Adopted At Birth, Jack Discovers His Birth Father May Have Been None Other Than Harry Rawlins, A Renowned Criminal. As He Finds Out The Truth About His Own Identity, Jack Finds Himself Becoming Increasingly Aggressive, Stopping At Nothing To Find The Truth - Including Breaking The Law Himself. Jane Tennison must navigate the salacious world of theatre to solve a brutal murder in the heart of London's West End, in the brilliant new thriller from the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante. Things can't get much worse for detective Jane Tennison. Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenaline-fuelled Flying Squad, she now plies her trade in Gerald Road, a small and sleepy police station in the heart of London's affluent Knightsbridge. With only petty crime to sink her teeth into, Tennison can feel her career slowly flatlining. That is until the discovery of the most brutal murder Jane has ever seen: Charlie Foxley has been found viciously beaten to death with a cricket bat - his body dismembered and disembowelled. As a big-time theatrical agent, Foxley had a lot of powerful friends - but just as many enemies. And alongside her old friend DS Spencer Gibbs, Tennison must journey into the salacious world of show business to find out which one is the killer, before they strike again. "Jack Warr is a young DC with the Metropolitan Police. Charming but aimless, Jack can't seem to find his place in the world - until he's drawn into an investigation that turns his life upside down. In the aftermath of a fire at a derelict cottage, a badly charred body is discovered, along with the burnt remnants of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes - the hidden legacy of Dolly Rawlins and her gang of Widows. Jack's assignment to the case coincides with an investigation into his own past. As he searches for the truth about his identity, Jack finds himself increasingly drawn into a murky underworld of corruption and crime. Those millions have not been forgotten - and Jack will stop at nothing to find the truth."--Provided by publisher