Scarred

Nick Oldham

Jul 2021 · A Henry Christie Mystery Book 28 · Severn House Publishers Ltd

About this ebook

Some wounds never heal . . . Henry Christie has never forgotten the day he was brutally assaulted as a young constable while chasing a teenage shoplifter down a Blackpool alley. Tommy Benemy went missing soon after his arrest, but although Henry promised Tommy’s mother he'd keep an eye on the case, her son was never found. Now retired, Henry reluctantly agrees to join the Cold Case Unit as a civilian investigator, teaming up with the volatile DS Debbie Blackstone, who’s carrying scars of her own. When an old case leads them to a serial rapist, and a gruesome scene takes Henry back to his old promise – and failure, the pair find themselves confronting their demons as they unearth a deadly criminal conspiracy spanning decades, and chilling secrets desperate individuals will go to any lengths to keep hidden.

Ratings and reviews

Many years ago Henry Christie was assaulted by a teenage shoplifter. Luckily to still be alive, he promises himself that he, and he alone, will find that boy and personally escort him to jail. True to himself, he did exactly that ... but the young boy, Tommy Benemy, went missing shortly after his arrest and was never found. Now retired, Henry is a part of the Cold Case Unit as a civilian investigator. Partnered with DS Debbie Blackstone, they come across a case that immediately reminds Christie of the one case he never solved ... BOOK BLURB: the pair find themselves confronting their demons as they unearth a deadly criminal conspiracy spanning decades, and chilling secrets desperate individuals will go to any lengths to keep hidden. Convoluted twists and turns take the reader from past to present to past again showcasing police procedures. It's suspenseful and action packed with solidly drawn characters. Although 28th in the series, this can easily be read as a stand alone. The ending was surprising ... and explosive. Many thanks to the author / Canongate Books / Severn House Publishers / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

About the author

Nick Oldham is a retired police inspector who served in the force from the age of nineteen. As well as the acclaimed Henry Christie novels, he is the author of the Steve Flynn series.