A Fever of the Blood

<p><strong>A spellbinding concoction of crime, history and horror, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Jonathan Creek<br /></strong><strong><br />'A hugely entertaining Victorian mystery'</strong> <em>NEW YORK TIMES<br /></em><strong>'I enjoyed this - properly creepy and Gothic' </strong>IAN RANKIN</p> <p><br /><em><strong>New Year's Day, 1889.</strong><br /><br /></em>In Edinburgh's lunatic asylum, a patient escapes as a nurse lays dying. Leading the manhunt are legendary local Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray and Londoner-in-exile Inspector Ian Frey. <br /><br />Before the murder, the suspect was heard in whispered conversation with a fellow patient - a girl who had been mute for years.<br /><br />What made her suddenly break her silence? And why won't she talk again? Could the rumours about black magic be more than superstition?<br /><br />McGray and Frey track a devious psychopath far beyond their jurisdiction, through the worst blizzard in living memory, into the shadow of Pendle Hill - home of the Lancashire witches - <strong>where unimaginable danger awaits . . .</strong><br /><strong><u><br />Praise for <em>The Strings of Murder</em>:</u></strong><br /><br />'This is <strong>wonderful</strong>. A <strong>brilliant</strong>, <strong>moving</strong>, <strong>clever</strong>, <strong>lyrical </strong>book - <strong>I loved it'</strong> Manda Scott<br /><br />'<strong>One of the best debuts so far this year</strong> - a <strong>brilliant </strong>mix of horror, history, and humour. <strong>Genuinely riveting</strong> with plenty of twists, this will keep you turning the pages. It's <strong>clever</strong>, occasionally <strong>frightening </strong>and <strong>superbly written. E</strong><strong>verything you need in a mystery thriller</strong>' <em>Crime Review</em></p>