Dark Objects

‘Count to three,’ her mother told her, the last words she would ever speak. An Impossible Crime SceneA wealthy woman is found brutally murdered in the locked fortress of her London mansion. Surrounding her are four mysterious objects, including a book on forensics by Dr Laughton Rees. An Inescapable PastAs a teenager, Laughton’s life was destroyed after witnessing her mother’s brutal murder. Now a mother herself and forensic analyst, she is an expert on how to read crime scenes – but never works live cases. An Uncatchable KillerPressured by the lead detective to help with the investigation, Laughton begins to realise that the objects left by the body are not just about the victim, they’re also about her. Her childhood was destroyed by one killer. Now she must catch another before her daughter’s is destroyed too. ‘There are times when I read another author’s novel and it’s so darn good I just want to put down my own pen and retire because I can’t match it. This is that book.’ TESS GERRITSEN ‘An intense, compelling page-turner.’ STEVE CAVANAGH ‘The pacing is superb and as the suspense ratchets up you will find it impossible to put the book down.’ PETER ROBINSON ‘A stunning novel! Part wily procedural, part relentless psychological thriller, Dark Objects will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.’ JEFFERY DEAVER ‘It’s intelligent, insanely paced and brimming with fresh ideas – I doubt I’ll read a better book this year.’ M.W. CRAVEN ‘A gripping, action-packed story filled with twists and tension.’ STEPH BROADRIBB

‘[A] haunting story that sends more than a shudder down the spine’ Daily Mail Best of the Year ‘[Simon Toyne] paints characters with such fine strokes that we can see every pore. It’s exquisite writing with ever-ratcheting tension.’ Tess Gerritsen in Observer ‘Gripping from first page to last, this is superb storytelling and it certainly sends a shudder down the spine.’ Mail Online ‘Clashing interests, an old case and intriguing and moving characters combine in this immensely readable novel that is, above all, about parenting.’ Library Review ‘This was a fun, crafty thriller… I love how he interwove a clever serial killer plot with a taught family drama. Definitely a one-sit read!’ Lisa Gardner, author of Before She Disappeared ‘An intense, compelling page-turner that is perfect for fans of Thomas Harris, from a hugely talented writer on top at the top of his game.’Steve Cavanagh, author of Thirteen ‘Simon Toyne knows his stuff, and in Dark Objects he puts it to excellent use, constructing a thrilling plot driven by intriguing, complex characters. The pacing is superb and as the suspense ratchets up you will find it impossible to put the book down.’Peter Robinson, author of Not Dark Yet ‘A stunning novel! Part wily procedural, part relentless psychological thriller, Dark Objects will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. And what a masterful voice, Toyne brings to his fiction!’Jeffery Deaver, author of Hunting Time and The Bone Collector ‘Simon Toyne, already one of the UK’s top thriller writers, really has outdone himself with Dark Objects. It’s intelligent, insanely paced and brimming with fresh ideas – I doubt I’ll read a better book this year.’M.W. CRAVEN, author of The Curator

Simon Toyne is the bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy: Sanctus, The Key and The Tower. He wrote Sanctus after quitting his job as a TV executive to focus on writing. It was the biggest selling debut thriller of 2011 in the UK and an international bestseller. His books have been translated into 27 languages and published in over 50 countries. The Boy Who Saw is the second book in a new series of epic thrillers that will span the world and centre around the enigmatic Solomon Creed.