Search results for ""author alison bruce""

‘An insightful and gripping account that will take you into the dark but fascinating world of a Victorian executioner.’ – Stewart P. EvansBetween 1884 and 1905 James Billington and his three sons, Thomas, William and John, were responsible for 235 executions in Victorian Great Britain and Ireland. They hanged many notorious murderers, but equally fascinating is the story of the family. Did James really feel he served society and justice, or did this position satisfy something more personal?Billington: Victorian Executioner provides a complete account of the stories behind James Billington’s executions, as well as the real man behind the rope – a man whose business was death. This enthralling biography is an exciting addition to any true crime bookshelf.

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The cases covered here record the county's most fascinating but least-known crimes, as well as famous murders that gripped not just Cambridgeshire but the whole nation. From the mysterious barn fire at Burwell that killed seventy-six people to the unsolved murder of Cambridge shopkeeper Alice Lawton, and from poisoning in St Neots to the murder of a fifteen-year-old drummer boy whose ghost haunted the killer and drove him to confess, this is a collection of the county's most dramatic and interesting criminal cases. Alison Bruce has gone back to original records and documents to uncover the truth about these extraordinary crimes. Using contemporary illustrations and tracing the stories through the words of those who were actually there, she re-creates the drama of case and courtroom. Cambridgeshire Murders is a unique re-examination of the darker side of the county's past.

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'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailKaye Whiting went to buy a birthday present and didn't come back. She isn't dead, or physically injured. But she is alone and very, very scared.Fifty miles away in Cambridge town centre a deeply disturbed young woman is standing by a payphone. She knows she often feels compelled to do harmful things and is driven by a desire to make a call. DC Gary Goodhew is one of the detectives assigned to find Kaye and when her body is discovered the only clue to the potential murderer is a woman's voice on his answerphone saying, 'Kaye isn't the first and won't be the last...'Praise for Cambridge Blue:'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory'A fast-paced gritty tale guaranteed to have you hooked from beginning to end' Cambridgeshire Pride'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style

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'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailDC Gary Goodhew is intelligent, intuitive and the youngest detective at Cambridge's Parkside Station. He is the first on the scene when the body of a young woman is discovered on Midsummer Common and for the first time in his career is given the chance to work on a murder investigation.Soon there is an identity for the victim: Lorna Spence. Richard Moran, her boyfriend and employer, has reported her missing and is distraught to discover that she has been killed. He claims she was loved by his staff and his sisters, reserved Alice and vulnerable Jackie. He says she had no enemies but it isn't long before Goodhew discovers plenty, including her high maintenance colleague Victoria and Goodhew's reckless former classmate Bryn.They both swear that they have nothing to do with Lorna's death but Goodhew knows someone is lying. Then there is another brutal murder and Goodhew knows it is time to use his own initiative to flush out the killer, even though it means risking his job and discovering the truth about the one person he hopes will be innocent.'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory

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''A powerful and absorbing story that stayed with me long after I''d finished reading. A writer at the top of her game'' Elly Griffiths''One of our most interesting crime writers'' Daily MailAfter the sudden death of her sister, devastated detective DS Ronnie Blake relocates to Cambridge to help her brother Alex raise their sister''s young son, Noah. She reports for her first day but instead finds herself being questioned by a special investigations unit, nicknamed the DEAD Team.With a small group of six, led by DI Fenton, the once-successful DEAD team has a single outstanding case, Operation Byron, and the failure to resolve it threatens the unit''s existence. Their most promising lead is an anonymous note linking three seemingly unconnected people: a convicted fraudster, a dead academic... and Ronnie''s sister Jodie.When Ronnie is denied information about Operation Byron, she follows a lead slipped to her by Malachi, the

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A cold case waits to be solved . . . and a killer waits in the wings.Amy was seven years old when her father was arrested for murder. His subsequent trial and conviction scarred her childhood and cast a shadow over her life until, twenty-two years later, new evidence suggests he was innocent and Amy sets out to clear his name. But Amy is not the only person troubled by the past. DC Gary Goodhew is haunted by the day his grandfather was murdered and is still searching for answers, determined to uncover the truth about his grandfather's death and find his killer.But, right now, someone is about to die. Someone who has secrets and who once kept quiet but is now living on borrowed time. Someone who will be murdered because disturbing the past has woken a killer.

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'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie HannahFrom the first time I saw them together I knew it felt wrong. I didn't like the way he touched her or the self-conscious way he played with Molly and Luke. Joanne saw none of it of course. So I did it to prove to her that she was wrong. I did it for us.Emily's instincts tell her that best friend Joanne's new boyfriend is bad news. Emily fears for Joanne. Fears for Joanne's children. But Joanne won't listen because she's in love. So Emily watches, and waits . . . and then she makes a choice. But Emily has a past, and secrets too. And is she really as good a friend to Joanne as she claims?'Never before have I read such a compelling, chilling read that kept me intrigued from beginning to end . . . If you adore psychological thrillers and books such as The Girl on the Train, then this is a must read!' Red Headed Book Lover Blog 'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings

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'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailJoey McCarthy is stabbed to death in a pub car park in a random act of violence. Shortly afterwards Charlotte Stone's terminally ill mother dies and then, within weeks, two of her teenage friends commit suicide. With her home life disintegrating and both her father and brother racing towards self-destruction Charlotte realises that her own personal nightmare may not be over yet.When DC Gary Goodhew finds the body of another suicide victim he is forced to recall some deeply buried memories of an earlier death; memories which lead him to Charlotte Stone and the events in her life.From their individual points of view they both begin to wonder whether all these tragedies are somehow linked to a bigger picture.And if they are right, then who will be the next victim?Praise for Cambridge Blue:'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory'A fast-paced gritty tale guaranteed to have you hooked from beginning to end' Cambridgeshire Pride'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style

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'Alison Bruce always delivers. Her latest is tense, twisty, terrific' Ian Rankin' [Alison Bruce] has written a superior thriller, full of suppressed menace' The Times Crime Club'A powerful and absorbing story that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading. A writer at the top of her game' Elly Griffiths'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie Hannah'Alison Bruce has long been one of the most adroit crime fiction practitioners in the UK. The Moment Before Impact is . . . her most accomplished outing yet' Barry Forshaw, Financial Times_________A terrible car accident - or calculated murder?An evening out for five students ends in tragedy, with two dead and one critically injured. Nicci Waldock survives, but her life is left in tatters. Years later, a sighting of Jack Bailey, the brother of her dead friend, leaves her with a shocking realisation about the night of the accident.Helped by former journalist Celia Henry, Nicci sets out to learn the truth about what really happened, and discovers a series of lies and dangerous secrets that have distorted everything she thinks she knows.In uncovering the tangled truth of what happened that night three years ago, Nicci must decide who she can trust, and who is about to kill again. And she realises that everything can be saved or lost in the moment before impact.__________Praise for Alison Bruce'As always, Bruce produces a rewarding read' The Times'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily Mail

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'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailAll it took was one small item on the regional news for Kimberly Guyver and Rachel Golinski to know that their old life was catching up with them. They wondered how they'd been naïve enough to think it wouldn't. They hoped they still had a chance to leave it behind - just one more time - but within hours, Rachel's home is burning and Kimberly's young son, Riley, is missing.DC Goodhew begins to sift through their lives, and starts to uncover an unsettling picture of deceit, murder and accelerating danger. Kimberly seems distraught but also defensive and uncooperative. Is it fear and mistrust of the police which are putting her son at risk, or darker motivations?With Riley's life in peril, Goodhew needs Kimberly to make choices, but she has to understand, the one thing she cannot afford is another mistake.Praise for Cambridge Blue:'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory'A fast-paced gritty tale guaranteed to have you hooked from beginning to end' Cambridgeshire Pride'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style

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'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailThe promise seemed simple. The scars would last a lifetime.In a single night, Kyle Phipps's life is derailed. His relationship is over, he is denied access to his young son and everything important to him is at risk.His thoughts stumble between fear and revenge. Kyle Phipps has a choice to make.Meanwhile, after the tragic end to a previous case, DC Gary Goodhew finds himself questioning his reasons for returning to work until the badly beaten body of a homeless man is found on Market Hill. Having known the homeless man for several years Goodhew feels compelled to be part of the investigation - but routine lines of enquiry soon take a dark and unexpected turn...Suddenly the Cambridge back streets hold deadly secrets for Goodhew and the only person who has the answers is planning one final, desperate act.Praise for Cambridge Blue:'Menacing and insidious, this is a great novel' R J Ellory'A fast-paced gritty tale guaranteed to have you hooked from beginning to end' Cambridgeshire Pride'A gripping tale of murder and mystery' Cambridge Style

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'Unpredictable, challenging and compelling' Sophie HannahA terrible car accident - or calculated murder?An evening out for five students ends in tragedy, with two dead and one critically injured. Nicci Waldock survives, but her life is left in tatters. Years later, a sighting of Jack Bailey, the brother of her dead friend, leaves her with a shocking realisation about the night of the accident.Helped by former journalist Celia Henry, Nicci sets out to learn the truth about what really happened, and discovers a series of lies and dangerous secrets that have distorted everything she thinks she knows.In uncovering the tangled truth of what happened that night three years ago, Nicci must decide who she can trust, and who is about to kill again. And she realises that everything can be saved or lost in the moment before impact.Praise for Alison Bruce'As always, Bruce produces a rewarding read' The Times'I Did It For Us held me from the off. It's compelling, slickly plotted and brilliantly written' Amanda Jennings'One of our most interesting crime writers' Daily Mail

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