The Calling of the Grave - (David Hunter Thrillers) by Simon Beckett (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When Det. Insp. Terry Connor turns up on David Hunter's doorstep, it's an unwelcome reminder of the past in more ways than one. They had once worked together, recovering the victims of a serial killer on the bleak expanse of Dartmoor in Southern England. When Terry's behavior caused a bitter rift, the partnership ended. But now the serial killer--a psychotic rapist and murderer named Jerome Monk--has escaped from high-security prison. And he seems to be targeting anyone involved with the search.

David has no choice but to return to his past that is far from dead and buried--especially when he receives a mysterious appeal for help from Sophie Keller, who also worked with the recovery team in Dartmoor. As he is drawn back into Jerome's twisted world, David discovers that nothing about the original case was what it seemed. And as the maniac's bloody trail edges ever closer, David is forced to question who he can really trust.

Review Quotes

Praise for Simon Beckett

"Simon Beckett's sixth novel featuring the forensic anthropologist David Hunter is arguably his best." --The Times (London)

"Brilliantly original . . . Simon's first crime novel The Chemistry of Death absolutely blew me away and he just gets better by the book!" --Peter James, bestselling author of Left You Dead

"A satisfyingly dark and twisting thriller." --The Mail on Sunday

"An arresting setup . . . Beckett has regained his best form. . . . The exigencies of a macabre investigative thriller are dispatched with characteristic aplomb." --Financial Times

"Beckett's masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads" --Tess Gerritsen, author of New York Times-bestseller Harvest

"The forensics are chillingly authentic, the writing is both taut and atmospheric." --Anne Cleeves, bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope series

"Terrifying . . . Rarely have the mechanics of suspense been so effectively realized outside an Alfred Hitchcock movie." --Daily Express

"Beckett is one of the country's best crime writers . . . His books are intelligent, beautifully written and utterly gripping." --Sunday Express

About the Author

Simon Beckett is the international bestselling author of the David Hunter thrillers. His books have been translated into twenty-nine languages, appeared in the Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller list, and sold more than ten million copies worldwide. A former freelance journalist who has written for the Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Independent on Sundayand the Observer, Beckett's inspiration for the first David Hunter novel came after a visit to the world-renowned Body Farm in Tennessee introduced him to the work of forensic anthropologists.

As well as co-winning the Ripper Award in 2018/19, the largest European crime prize, Beckett won the Raymond Chandler Society's 'Marlowe' Award and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, CWA Dagger in the Library, and Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year.

In addition to his David Hunter series, Beckett has written five standalone novels, one of which, Where There's Smoke, was adapted into a major two-part drama.