Crow Moon: The atmospheric, chilling debut thriller that everyone is talking about ... first in an addictive, enthralling series (eBook)

Suzy Aspley (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
300 Seiten
Orenda Books (Verlag)
978-1-914585-51-7 (ISBN)

Infos

An investigative reporter gives up her job when her young twins are killed in a fire, but when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager, she's thrust into a chilling investigation that will leave no one unscathed... `Bloody good read´ Val McDermid `Dark, gothic, and dripping with dread, this spellbinding debut is a triumph´ C.J. Cooke `An extraordinary debut: intriguing, unsettling, heavy on atmosphere and with a formidable leading lady ... Suzy Aspley is one to watch´ Mari Hannah `Dark, atmospheric and addictive´ Sun `Meets the definition of 'eagerly awaited' more than most debuts´ Herald Scotland **Shortlisted for the Val McDermid Debut Award** **Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize** ___ When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed... Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire. Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager - a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back... When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows. As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha... Both a nerve-shattering, enthralling and atmospheric thriller and a moving tale of grief and psychological damage, Crow Moon is a staggeringly accomplished debut and the start of an addictive, unforgettable series. _________________ `Compelling, atmospheric and unsettling, Crow Moon takes readers on a twist turning thrill of a ride ... a stylish debut in a series we will all be following!´ Louise Welsh `Exceptionally atmospheric and excruciatingly tense ... a belter´ Emma Christie `A page-turning plot, beautifully realised setting, and characters that are still walking and talking in my head ... a compassionate and captivating new voice´ Emma Styles `The story and its characters feel bound to the landscape ... The constant presence of crows, watching, listening, gathering and even swooping down to attack, infuses the already sinister atmosphere with a dash of the Gothic´ Herald Scotland `Hugely accomplished and extremely creepy´ Trevor Wood `The most impressive debut I've read in years´ Yrsa Sigurdardottir `A compelling story, beautiful descriptions of a fearsome wilderness setting and unforgettable characters make this one of my books of the year´ Alison Belsham `A gripping piece of contemporary gothic ... signals the arrival of a hugely promising new talent´ Kevin Wignall `A nerve-tingling thriller with beautiful descriptions that enchant and terrify ... this masterful debut will ensure you never look at a crow the same way again´ Eve Smith `A creepy story of folklore and grief´ Heleen Kist `Deliciously gothic - dripping forests, terrifying disappearances and a haunting resolution´ Heather Critchlow `Combining thrills, horror and the occult, this will most certainly appeal to fans of Stephen King and C.J. Tudor´ Mature Times

Originally from the north east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in Scotland for almost 30 years. She writes crime and short stories often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her. She won Bloody Scotland's Pitch Perfect in 2019 with the original idea for her debut novel and was shortlisted in the London Capital crime festival's new voices award. In 2020, she was mentored by Jo Dickinson as part of the Hachette future bookshelf initiative. Her novel Crow Moon was also long listed this year for the Caledonia Novel Award. She's currently working on the second book in the series featuring journalist Martha Strangeways. When she's not writing, she's either got her nose buried in a book, or is outside with her dogs dreaming up more dark stories. Find her on Twitter @writer_suzy on instagram @suzyaspleybooks and her website suzyaspleywriter.com

Textauszug

CHAPTER TWO

Jane MacDonald was smaller than Martha remembered.

Having knocked tentatively on Martha’s door, Jane now hesitated on the doorstep. ‘Hello, Martha. How’ve you been?’ she said at last.

Martha hadn’t seen much of anyone since the fire at Blacklaw, but her son Dougie spent plenty of time over at Jane’s house with her son, Fraser. Dougie and Fraser had been fast friends since they’d moved to Strathbran.

Noting the crease of anxiety on the other woman’s kind face, and sensing her need for reassurance, Martha smiled. ‘Aye, not bad, Jane. Would you like to come in?’ Martha moved back from the door.

‘No, you’re alright. I just wondered if you’d heard from our Fraser? He’s not been here with Dougie, has he? Didn’t come home last night and I’m starting to fret.’

‘No, he’s not been here,’ Martha said. She opened the door wider. ‘Do come in. I’ll make you a cup of tea. Please.’ She realised how distant she must seem to folk in the village. She hardly ever stopped to pass the time of day with anyone now.

Jane MacDonald hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded.

In the kitchen, Martha cleared a pile of papers from the table. ‘Here, take a seat,’ she said. ‘I haven’t seen Fraser, but Dougie’s been at his dad’s. Is Fraser not just away to pals in Aberfoyle?’

Jane frowned as she shook her head. ‘I haven’t seen him since he went out for his run yesterday. I left a bacon butty warming in the oven for him before I went off to work, but it was still there when I came home. You know he can be a bit of a tearaway, that lad. Not like your Dougie …’ She tailed off.

‘Teenagers. A law unto themselves don’t you think?’ Martha sat down at the table with Jane. The woman’s anxious face was still pinched, so she reached out, gently squeezing her arm. ‘Have you checked with the school? Or on his social-media accounts?’

‘I’ve spoken to a few of his friends, but no one seems to know where he is. And you know how secretive they are with social media.’ Jane smiled slightly.

Martha rolled her eyes in solidarity. ‘I’m not even on Facebook,’ she admitted.

‘Oh, Martha, I’m sorry to be bothering you with this, after everything you’ve had to go through.’

‘I’m alright. I have good days and bad days.’

‘I can’t imagine …’ It was clear Jane didn’t know what to say. ‘And here’s me being daft about my lad going off for a night. I’m just a bit het up about where he’s got to.’

‘Hey, no worries at all,’ said Martha, absorbing Jane’s concern. ‘You’re not being silly. Listen, I’ll give Dougie a ring. He’s due back here later, but I’ll check now and see if he’s heard from Fraser and let you know. I’m sure you’ll find he’s just holed up at a girlfriend’s or something and has lost track of time. You know what they’re like at this age, always pushing the boundaries.’ At the same time as she tried to reassure Fraser’s mum, she couldn’t help thinking how worried she would be if Dougie were to go AWOL.

‘I’d better be off then,’ Jane said. ‘Thanks for the tea.’

As she saw Jane out, Martha wondered where Fraser could have got to. He was a lively teenager, much more outgoing than her own son, but the boys had been close since they’d met at school when Martha and Jamie first moved to the village.

She closed the door, pulled her phone from her pocket and called Dougie.

‘I did get a message from Fraser yesterday,’ Dougie said. ‘It just said HELP, but when I tried to call him there was no answer. He was probably just pulling my leg though, Mum. You know what he’s like.’

Martha didn’t like the sound of that at all. It seemed an odd kind of prank to play. And the fact that Dougie had heard nothing further from Fraser made her antennae twitch. She told Dougie she would pick him up from school later on. It would give her the chance to ask some of her son’s friends if they knew anything about where Fraser might be.

‘And text him again, will you?’ she told Dougie. ‘Let me know if he gets back to you. He’s not responding to messages or calls from his mum.’

‘OK. See you later.’ Dougie rang off. He was a good lad. She was lucky she had him.

Weak sun was trying to break through the cloud, but the breeze was chilly as Martha walked up the hill to the shop half an hour later.

Built on a hill with a church at its centre, the village comprised a square, a hall, the school next to the kirk, and the shop she was heading for. It was originally an estate village for Strathbran House with some of the cottages dating back to the sixteenth century. Over the years, a few smaller new developments had sprung up as nearby farmland was sold off, and a small council housing estate was also built. When she’d moved here with Jamie, it was because they believed it was a good place for children to grow up – in a close-knit community where they’d be safe, but not beyond commuting distance for Martha. That had been the plan when they moved out here, anyway. She thought of her twins and the fire that had ended their short lives, and then of Fraser, and her throat tightened.

She caught sight of something black flapping over the road by the church gate. Kirk Minister Reverend Locke. His dark robes catching the breeze. Maybe there was a funeral on today. He caught her eye, acknowledging her with a slight nod. She always felt a bit uneasy in his presence. He’d conducted the memorial service for the twins, which she’d endured with a numbness that reached deep into her soul. No comfort in the words from a god she didn’t believe in. She hadn’t spoken to Locke since.

‘How are you, Martha?’ he called. Moving closer, she noticed the five o’clock shadow grazing his jaw and was surprised to see a cigarette smoking in his left hand.

‘OK, thanks, Reverend. Yourself?’

He nodded, taking a long drag. ‘Got to have some vices, right?’ His wry smile was unexpected.

‘You haven’t heard anything about Fraser MacDonald, have you?’ she asked.

‘Haven’t seen that lad for quite a while. Why, what’s up?’

‘It’s probably nothing, but he didn’t come home last night. His mum is worried.’

‘Just out with a girlfriend or something, I’d bet.’ He seemed dismissive. ‘Haven’t seen him at church for ages, or your Dougie, for that matter.’

Martha didn’t like the way he’d brought her son into the discussion, his tone insinuating his absence was some fault of hers.

‘Well, if you do hear anything, could you let his mum know please?’ she said.

He nodded, mouth pressed into a slight smirk.

‘Be good to see you at church too sometime soon.’

Martha turned, ignoring his pointed remark, and walked away. There was something about the man she didn’t like.

She arrived at the school ten minutes early and parked up, hoping to catch the pupils as they came out and boarded buses bound for home. At 3.45pm the bell rang. Martha got out and stood by her car. A warm feeling spread in her chest as three boys emerged, her son Dougie amongst them. His hair was growing. He pulled off his school tie and rolled up the sleeves on his shirt as he walked, eager to embrace the weekend, she thought.

‘Any chance the lads could get a lift back to Strathbran, Mum?’ he asked.

She nodded, and George and Hamish piled into the back of her Subaru.

‘Apologies about the smell,’ she smiled. ‘Usually just the two dogs back there.’

‘You cannae park there.’ The voice behind her was less than friendly.

‘I’m just about to leave.’ Martha turned to see a small, skinny man, his hair pulled back into a greasy ponytail. Squinting eyes looked her up and down, the tip of his tongue briefly protruded from his lips.

‘Aye well, that lad of yours should know the rules, eh Dougie?’

Martha saw the look that passed between her son and the man before she got into the driver’s seat and started the ignition.

‘Who was that creep?’ She grimaced.

‘That’s Joe Gallagher,’ Hamish piped up from the back seat. ‘Works in the tech department.’

‘What? Is he a teacher?’

‘Nah, just support staff, but he watches everything we do on the computers and makes sure everyone knows it too.’

‘Any news on Fraser?’ she asked tentatively...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.3.2024
• Reihe/Serie: A Martha Strangeways Investigation
• Reihe/Serie: A Martha Strangeways Investigation
• Reihe/Serie: A Martha Strangeways Investigation
• Verlagsort: London
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror ► Horror
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror ► Krimi / Thriller
• Schlagworte: Alex North • alice feeney • amateur sleuth • Ann Cleeves • arson • Ben Kitto • Cara Hunter • Caro Ramsay • Catherine Ryan Howard • Catriona Ward • Chestnut Man • C J Cooke • Crow Moon • Daisy Darker • Deborah Masson • Debut • Denise Mina • Elly Griffiths • Emma Flint • Emma Stonex • female protagonist • Firewatching • Francine Toon • Hakan Nesser • Helen Fields • Ink Black Heart • Jane Harper • John Connelly • Jorn Lier Horst • Karen Pirie • Karin Slaughter • Kate Rhodes • Katrine Enberg • Louise Welsh • Lucy Foley • Mari Hannah • Murder • Mystery • one for sorrow • Paula Hawkins • Peter Janes • Pine • police procedural • Riley Sager • Robert Galbraith • Russ Thomas • ruth ware • sarah hilary • Scandinavian • Scandi Noir • Scotland • Scottish • Scottish Crime • serial killer • series • Shari Lapena • sharon bolton • Shelley Burr • Small Town • Stephanie Merritt • sundial • Supernatural • Suzy Aspley • Tall Bones • Tana French • The Furies • The Nesting • Thomas Enger • Thriller • Turn of the Key • Val McDermid • Wake
• ISBN-10: 1-914585-51-8 / 1914585518
• ISBN-13: 978-1-914585-51-7 / 9781914585517