Saturday Rest Day: blood on the snow
Sunday Dayshift: when all is in ashes
Monday Dayshift: I, being of sound mind and body…
Tuesday Dayshift: welcome to the end of days
Monday Lateshift: to sink like a stone
Read on for an exclusive extract of the latest novel The Blood Road
As always I’ve received a lot of help from a lot of people while I was writing this book, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank: Prof. Sue Black, Dr Roos Eisma, Vivienne McGuire, all at the University of Dundee’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification and their principal & Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Pete Downes; PSD Chief Inspector Allan Ross, and Sergeant Bruce Crawford who answered far more daft questions than anyone should ever have to; Sarah Hodgson, Jane Johnson, Julia Wisdom, Louise Swannell, Laura Fletcher, Sarah Collett, Charlie Redmayne, Roger Cazalet, Kate Elton, Sarah Benton, Damon Greeney, Kate Stephenson, the eagle-eyed Anne O’Brien, Marie Goldie, the DC Bishopbriggs Naughty Posse, and everyone at HarperCollins, for doing such a stonking job; Phil Patterson and the team at Marjacq Scripts, for keeping my cat in shoes all these years; and Isla Anderson who helped raise money for a worthy cause to appear as a character in this book.
Of course, there wouldn’t be any books without bookshops, booksellers, and book readers – so thank you all, you’re stars.
And saving the best for last – as always – Fiona and Grendel.
He rolls over onto his side, blood pulsing from what’s left of his nose. It stains his teeth dark pink. Bubbles at the side of his mouth. Explodes out in a shower of scarlet droplets as the boot slams into his bare stomach again.