Dead Man’s Prayer: A gripping detective thriller with a killer twist

Dead Man’s Prayer: A gripping detective thriller with a killer twist
Jackie Baldwin

A dark and gripping crime debut, the first in an exciting new series. Eighteen years ago, DI Frank Farrell turned his back on the church. But when an ex-priest is murdered in his hometown, he has no choice but to delve into his past. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, James Oswald and Val McDermid.Ex-priest DI Frank Farrell has returned to his roots in Dumfries, only to be landed with a disturbing murder case. Even worse, Farrell knows the victim: Father Boyd, the man who forced him out of the priesthood eighteen years earlier.With no leads, Farrell must delve into the old priest’s past, one that is inexorably linked with his own. But his attention is diverted when a pair of twin boys go missing. The Dumfries police force recover one in an abandoned church, unharmed. But where is his brother?As Farrell investigates the two cases, he can’t help but feel targeted. Is someone playing a sinister game, or is he seeing patterns that don’t exist? Either way, it’s a game Farrell needs to win before he loses his grip on his sanity, or someone else turns up dead.

Dead Man’s Prayer

JACKIE BALDWIN

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2016

Copyright © Jackie Baldwin 2016

Jackie Baldwin asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2016

Cover photographs © Shutterstock.com (http://Shutterstock.com)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

This is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, living or dead, real events, businesses, organizations and localities are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. All names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and their resemblance, if any, to real-life counterparts is entirely coincidental.

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Ebook Edition © SEPTEMBER 2016 ISBN: 9780008200954

Version: 2018-05-10

Dedication (#u541e492e-6b51-59b8-91b2-291a1ace2bd4)

For Guy

Contents

Cover (#u5c4d67c1-97a6-5beb-b68c-b2b147594e0f)

Title Page (#u6d1c12a4-15e8-5b4f-b80d-69f58fe9e2a7)

Copyright (#u4ff137fb-6911-575a-8a0a-f3aaed8763aa)

Dedication (#ud14a64fe-6c61-5a71-8e1f-85b859d98959)

June 2012 (#u30f1f27c-e740-5416-8b18-d37e33c7129c)

Chapter One (#u39bdb469-4679-590c-bde3-2577398e2b89)

Chapter Two (#uadbc9c97-97a2-51c6-bf34-1bde3c22482b)

Chapter Three (#u20bab0c6-edde-5856-9a28-8837d771777e)

Chapter Four (#ubf956c72-acb8-5d77-babd-a1d3517657da)

Chapter Five (#u114e2ef5-ad19-5582-b4c6-3c3173584e7d)

Chapter Six (#u5eee028f-e125-5afd-a2ab-d547c7510a55)

Chapter Seven (#ub76aab8b-90ff-55e0-9a47-bb2a4eb258a4)

Chapter Eight (#u5346bfe1-9ad7-517c-b321-fca922cdeec2)

Chapter Nine (#u200d34d1-763c-516c-a0a3-4617061c7d21)

Chapter Ten (#u8650a22d-538d-5b79-9253-84c0251df7a0)

Chapter Eleven (#u4debd370-4f87-5bea-bb30-3d487ce1c8f3)

Chapter Twelve (#ud5001578-1526-535d-9c85-1e35ed6460ef)

Chapter Thirteen (#u4e8a21a8-d11e-51a9-850e-1d08f1f91a29)

Chapter Fourteen (#u9137cf9d-65db-532d-90bd-744148b7f96b)

Chapter Fifteen (#u93597b16-0263-519d-9115-cac18cd82cb5)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)