Description

Book Synopsis

FREE LOVE. DEADLY PRICE.

'William Shaw is one of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction' Peter James

'If you're not a fan yet, why not?' Val McDermid

'A first-rate police thriller set amidst the seamy underside of the swinging sixties' C. J. Sansom

The Runaway

A nameless young woman is found naked and strangled in an alley on Abbey Road.

The Reject

DS Cathal Breen, an outcast in the Marylebone CID, struggles to make sense of the case.

The Rookie

Until new recruit WPC Helen Tozer - the first woman to join the team - makes a breakthrough.

And as hippies slam doors in their face, and locals suspect the new African neighbours, Breen and Tozer tread down a perilous path, closing in on a cruel conspiracy that goes far beyond class, colour and creed.



Trade Review
Shaw skilfully re-creates an era of social turmoil and class conflict ... against a vivid background of pop culture, casual racism and Britain's involvement in the bitter civil war in Nigeria * Sunday Times *
A first-rate police thriller set amidst the seamy underside of the swinging sixties ... The totemic year of '68 will never seem the same again * C. J. Sansom *
Excellent procedural ... A gripping story, with two appealing protagonists and impeccably researched period details deployed throughout -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *
Convincing atmosphere, lively dialogue and a fun cop duo unite Beatlemania, English racism and the Biafran war * The Times *
Excellent * Mail on Sunday *
Superb characterisation, a vivid recreation of the era, its sights, sounds and prejudices make this a highly enjoyable and readable debut for the pairing . . . Shaw is certainly a name to note for the future and we shall see this original and likeable couple again soon * Crime Review *
Excellent ... authentic, often humorous ... The Sixties have been examined and presented every which way, but A Song From Dead Lips manages to be something fresh, both in this regard and as a detective novel * Killing Time Crime *

A Song from Dead Lips: the first book in the

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    £9.49

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    RRP £9.99 – you save £0.50 (5%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 24 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by William Shaw

    4 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of A Song from Dead Lips: the first book in the by William Shaw

      Publisher: Quercus Publishing
      Publication Date: 22/05/2014
      ISBN13: 9781782064190, 978-1782064190
      ISBN10: 1782064192

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      FREE LOVE. DEADLY PRICE.

      'William Shaw is one of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction' Peter James

      'If you're not a fan yet, why not?' Val McDermid

      'A first-rate police thriller set amidst the seamy underside of the swinging sixties' C. J. Sansom

      The Runaway

      A nameless young woman is found naked and strangled in an alley on Abbey Road.

      The Reject

      DS Cathal Breen, an outcast in the Marylebone CID, struggles to make sense of the case.

      The Rookie

      Until new recruit WPC Helen Tozer - the first woman to join the team - makes a breakthrough.

      And as hippies slam doors in their face, and locals suspect the new African neighbours, Breen and Tozer tread down a perilous path, closing in on a cruel conspiracy that goes far beyond class, colour and creed.



      Trade Review
      Shaw skilfully re-creates an era of social turmoil and class conflict ... against a vivid background of pop culture, casual racism and Britain's involvement in the bitter civil war in Nigeria * Sunday Times *
      A first-rate police thriller set amidst the seamy underside of the swinging sixties ... The totemic year of '68 will never seem the same again * C. J. Sansom *
      Excellent procedural ... A gripping story, with two appealing protagonists and impeccably researched period details deployed throughout -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *
      Convincing atmosphere, lively dialogue and a fun cop duo unite Beatlemania, English racism and the Biafran war * The Times *
      Excellent * Mail on Sunday *
      Superb characterisation, a vivid recreation of the era, its sights, sounds and prejudices make this a highly enjoyable and readable debut for the pairing . . . Shaw is certainly a name to note for the future and we shall see this original and likeable couple again soon * Crime Review *
      Excellent ... authentic, often humorous ... The Sixties have been examined and presented every which way, but A Song From Dead Lips manages to be something fresh, both in this regard and as a detective novel * Killing Time Crime *

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