Part of Dalziel & Pascoe, book 22
First published 2007
Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel lies unconscious in a hospital bed, clinging to life after a devastating blast. His colleague Peter Pascoe refuses to believe the unthinkable could happen to Fat Andy, the seemingly indestructible force who has outlasted countless chief constables. Pascoe ignores his own wounds and the protests of his wife to hunt down whoever did this. His investigation leads him to the Templars, a shadowy organization that fights terrorism with their own brand of terror. They operate where law enforcement cannot reach, believing that dead policemen and innocent bystanders are acceptable losses in their war. Pascoe suspects the group has powerful allies in high places, people willing to sacrifice anyone for their cause. His search for answers takes him from Manchester's streets to the Yorkshire countryside. Throughout his quest, Dalziel's spirit seems to hover over everything like an enormous balloon straining against its tethers, his presence felt even as his body remains motionless on life support.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Manchester, Yorkshire
Period: Contemporary
404 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollinsPublishers
Content warnings: violence