The Thirteenth Coffin

by Nigel McCrery

Published 31 December 2015

A heart-stopping delve into the twisted mind of a serial killer from the creator of the hit BBC drama Silent Witness. Perfect for fans of M.J. Arlidge and Angela Marsons.

Stretching along the shelf, standing upright, were twelve wooden coffins. Nine were closed, and three open . . . with little dolls standing inside them . . .

It was supposed to be the most special day of her life - until the unthinkable happened. Leslie Petersen is shot dead on her wedding day.

With the bride's killer vanished without a trace, the investigation into the murder grinds to a halt before it's even begun. But then, the decomposing body of an unidentified homeless man is found in an old Cold War bunker, and DCI Mark Lapslie makes a bizarre discovery. Hidden near the body is a shrine full of miniature wooden coffins. Each coffin contains a little doll, all dressed differently.

One of the dolls is dressed as a bride - could this be a link to Leslie's murder? And if so, who do the other dolls represent? Can Lapslie and his team stop the countdown of the 'dying dolls' before it's too late?

Discover the other books in the DCI Mark Lapslie series: Core of Evil, Tooth and Claw, Scream and Flesh and Blood.


Tooth and Claw

by Nigel McCrery

Published 5 November 2009
After a year of working at home in order to control his synaesthesia (the rare neurological condition that causes his brain to crosswire his senses), DCI Mark Lapslie gets a visit from Sergeant Emma Bradbury, summoning him back to active duty. A television reporter has been brutally murdered and the top brass think Lapslie is the man to investigate the crime. With no witnesses and no suspects, Lapslie finds himself facing one of the toughest cases of his career. Then he has a second murder on his hands: a man is found dead in a train-station bomb explosion. Lapslie begins to suspect that the two high-profile cases may be connected. Under pressure to produce results and with the media bearing down on him and his synaesthesia going wild, Lapslie approaches his breaking point, but the solution to what's beginning to look like the crimes of an especially evil and diabolically creative serial killer remains elusive.

Flesh and Blood

by Nigel McCrery

Published 14 December 2017

The truth was buried along with their bodies . . . until now.

FROM THE CREATOR OF BBC DRAMA SILENT WITNESS, COMES A GRIPPING AND SINISTER THRILLER THAT WILL HAVE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT.

During the murder investigation of a teenage boy, DCI Mark Lapslie's methods come under fire and, as a result, his prime suspect walks free. Meanwhile another body is discovered and Lapslie and his team quickly find themselves on the trail of a voracious serial killer.

One year earlier, dedicated young journalist, Josie Dallyn stumbles over a chain of very similar cases. Whilst she is digging deeper and deeper into the truth behind the mysterious deaths, she is getting herself into more danger than she could have ever anticipated and her life is being threatened by some very dark forces.

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and MJ Arlidge.

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SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT NIGEL MCCRERY AND THE DCI MARK LAPSLIE SERIES:

'DCI Mark Lapslie is Nigel's finest creation . . . Immaculately constructed and beautifully observed' Daily Mail

'What a brilliant book. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of this book, an interesting start and an ending to end all endings' Amazon Reviewer

'Had me gripped from start to finish' Amazon Reviewer

'Not for the feint hearted' Amazon Reviewer

'There is no way I'd ever have guessed who the killer was' Amazon Reviewer

'Highly original . . . one of the best crime fiction books of the year' Amazon Reviewer

'Gripping' Daily Mirror

'Perfect holiday book for all crime lovers out there!' Amazon Reviewer

'One you won't want to put down. My first Nigel McCrery book, but won't be my last. Highly recommended, but not for the feint hearted' Amazon Reviewer

'First time reader of this author and this book was outstanding' Amazon Reviewer

'A wonderful story. Beautifully crafted' Amazon Reviewer

'One of the most memorable monsters in modern crime fiction' Daily Express


Core of Evil

by Nigel McCrery

Published 5 November 2009

A visceral thriller from the creator of the hit BBC drama Silent Witness, introducing synaesthetic detective DCI Mark Lapslie.

I've looked into the eyes of women who have banged nine-inch nails into the skulls of their victims with hammers ... we evaluate them, trying to determine whether they have actually changed, or whether there's still a core of evil within them...


Before his diagnosis, DCI Mark Lapslie thought everyone was like him. Now he knows he suffers from synaethesthesia - a rare neurological condition that has cross-wired his senses. The sickening clamour of sounds he can taste has smothered his marriage and stifled his career.

At the scene of a fatal traffic accident, Lapslie's interest isn't in the recently deceased driver, rather the desiccated corpse found lying next to him. Something about the body stirs a fleeting recollection at the back of Lapslie's mind... he can't quite put his finger on it, but he can almost taste it...

Memories haunt Violet Chambers. Taking tea with her friend Daisy, she knows it's time to move on. As Daisy falls to the floor, eyes streaming, face burning, Violet calmly waits. Black hellebore is remarkably potent. It won't be long now.

Discover the other books in the DCI Mark Lapslie series: Tooth and Claw, Scream, Thirteenth Coffin and Flesh and Blood.


Scream

by Nigel McCrery

Published 30 September 2010

In this chilling thriller from the creator of the hit BBC drama Silent Witness DCI Mark Lapslie is singled-out by a twisted killer. Perfect for fans of M.J. Arlidge and Angela Marsons.

You will never have felt pain like it in your life. I want you to know ... there's nothing you can do to stop it - nothing you can tell me, nothing you can offer me...

A woman screams in pain. Twenty-seven times, until she dies. The sound file was sent to DCI Mark Lapslie from an anonymous email address. Why is she screaming? Why would someone record that horrifying noise? And why send it to him? He soon learns that the file was sent from the hospital where he is being treated for synaesthesia - a neurological condition that cross-wires his senses so he tastes sound - and where his new girlfriend works.

When a body is discovered, the most shocking murder scene Lapslie has ever encountered forces him to realise there is a violent killer out there, a killer whose method of choice is torture. Will Lapslie find the killer? Who will have to die before he does?

Discover the other books in the DCI Mark Lapslie series: Core of Evil, Tooth and Claw, Thirteenth Coffin and Flesh and Blood.


Bloodline

by Nigel McCrery

Published 13 December 2018

From the creator of BBC drama Silent Witness, comes the gripping sixth instalment in the acclaimed DCI Mark Lapslie series.

When Isabel, a British university student, travels to a remote Spanish town it isn't only to enjoy the atmosphere. It's also to trace how and why her family name might have derived from the town, a quest her father, Sebastian made nine years ago, not long before his death in a car accident. But as Isabel, aided by local guide Mauricio, starts digging into her family's possible links with Alarcon, she's unprepared for the dark secrets uncovered; secrets that the current ruling nobility of Alarcon are keen to keep buried.

Ten days into her stay in Alarcon, Isabel mysteriously disappears, presumed dead. Inspector Mark Lapslie and DC Emma Bradbury are sent out to investigate alongside the local Spanish police. A possible gangland link is suspected - Isabel's stepfather in Valencia is a retired British gangster and a mob-hitman from Malaga is identified in Alarcon at the time of Isabel's disappearance. But Mauricio, suspects the Mayor's son, Dario, is the real culprit - to uncover the truth, Lapslie and Bradbury must delve into the murky, chequered past of Isabel's gangland stepfather while also following in her footsteps through Alarcon's dark and tempestuous history.