by J. J. Marric
Part of Gideon, book 2
First published 1989
Ruby Benson makes a desperate choice. She tips off the police about her violent husband Sid, a wanted killer whose brutality has made her life a nightmare. Ruby believes she can finally escape his cruelty once the authorities lock him away for good. Her plan works at first. The cops move in to capture Sid. But the brutal man has no intention of spending his life behind bars. He breaks free from custody and returns to the streets of London with murder on his mind. Sid wants revenge against the wife who dared to betray him. Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard now faces a deadly race against time. He must track down the escaped killer before Sid finds Ruby. The sadistic husband will stop at nothing to make his wife pay for her betrayal. Gideon knows that Ruby's life hangs in the balance, and he may have to risk everything to save her from her husband's blood vendetta.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, race-against-time
Setting: London
Period: 20th-century
224 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Zebra
Content warnings: domestic-violence, violence