Fever of the Bone: A Novel (Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Series, 6)

'No-one can plot or tell a story like she can. The hairs on my neck literally stood up' Daily Express 'So gripping it puts your life on hold' The Times 'You should have been a detective. If there's one thing the last year has proved, it's how good you are at finding things out. Things that are buried so deep nobody even thinks twice about them. The sort of things that turn people's lives inside out once they're exposed.' Meet Tony Hill's most twisted adversary - a killer with a shopping list of victims, a killer unmoved by youth and innocence, a killer driven by the most perverted of desires. The murder and mutilation of teenager Jennifer Maidment is horrific enough on its own. But it's not long before Tony realises it's just the start of a brutal and ruthless campaign that's targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people. Struggling with the newly awakened ghosts of his own past and desperate for distraction in his work, Tony battles to find the answers that will give him personal and professional satisfaction in his most testing investigation yet . . . A shocking, nail-biting Tony Hill and Carol Jordan thriller from the number one bestseller. If you enjoyed Fever of the Bone, don't miss the first in a new series from the Queen of Crime. 1979 is out now, introducing the unforgettable Allie Burns. Praise for Val McDermid: 'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail 'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express 'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review 'McDermid remains unrivalled' Observer 'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' Independent This is the sixth book in the bestselling Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series.

He is psychologist and criminal profiler Dr. Tony Hill’s worst nightmare—a killer driven by the most perverted hungers and unmoved by youth and innocence, a killer with a long shopping list of victims who leaves no trail. The murder-mutilation of teenager Jennifer Maidment is horrific enough on its own, but Hill quickly realizes that it’s just the beginning of a chilling campaign targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people—victims that the monster has been grooming through a social networking site.

It is a case that is reawakening ghosts of Tony Hill’s past. And the longer it takes to uncover a motive and a maniac, the more innocent youth will die.

Publishers Weekly

A new chief constable, James Blake, arrives at Bradfield CID in McDermid's excellent sixth Tony Hill novel (after Beneath the Bleeding). Since Blake takes a skeptical view of both Tony's contributions as a medical consultant and the team's commitment to cold cases, Det. Chief Insp. Carol Jordan has to tread carefully. Soon deemed too expensive by Blake, Tony turns to nearby Worcester for work, where a grisly case involves the brutal murder and sexual mutilation of teenagers lured to their deaths by a killer who befriends them on a social networking Web site. Connections soon arise between Tony's case and Carol's new murder inquiry in Bradfield, which McDermid develops with her usual systematic ease until all the pieces of the disturbing puzzle fall into place. The increasingly complex and indefinable relationship between Tony and Carol provides a strong emotional undercurrent. McDermid demonstrates once again that she's as adept with matters of the heart as she is with murder. (Sept.)

Meet Tony Hill's most twisted adversary - a killer with a shopping list of victims, a killer unmoved by youth and innocence, a killer driven by the most perverted desires ... When teenager Jennifer Maidment's murdered and mutilated body is discovered, it is clear that there is a dangerous psychopath on the loose. But it's not long before Tony and DCI Carol Jordan realise it's just the start of a brutal and ruthless campaign targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people. Their chameleon-like killer is chatting with them online, pretending to share their interests and beliefs - and then luring them to their deaths. But just when Tony should be at the heart of the hunt, he's pushed to the margins by Carol's cost-cutting boss and replaced by a dangerously inexperienced profiler. Struggling with the newly awakened ghosts of his own past and desperate for distraction in his work, Tony battles to find the answers that will give him personal and professional satisfaction in his most nerve-shattering investigation yet. Psychologically gripping and relentlessly paced, 'Fever of the Bone' is the perfect introduction for those who have not yet discovered the damaged but brilliant criminal profiler Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, best known from ITV's award-winning 'Wire in the Blood'. "He is psychologist and criminal profiler Dr. Tony Hill's worst nightmare--a killer driven by the most perverted hungers and unmoved by youth and innocence, a killer with a long shopping list of victims who leaves no trail. The murder-mutilation of teenager Jennifer Maidment is horrific enough on its own, but Hill quickly realizes that it's just the beginning of a chilling campaign targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people--victims that the monster has been grooming through a social networking site. It is a case that is reawakening ghosts of Tony Hill's past. And the longer it takes to uncover a motive and a maniac, the more innocent youth will die"--Page 4 of cover