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'A superbly strong read' The Times

What began as a straightforward case is about to become a twisted nightmare . . .

Once a busy hospital, St Jude's now stands derelict, awaiting demolition.

When a partially mummified corpse is found in the building's cavernous loft, forensics expert Dr David Hunter is called in to take a look. He can't say how long the body's been there, but he is certain it's that of a young woman. And that she was pregnant.

Then part of the attic floor collapses, revealing another of the hospital's secrets: a bricked-up chamber with beds inside. And some of them are still occupied.

And it soon becomes clear that St Jude's hasn't claimed its last victim . . .

Chilling, visceral and masterfully paced, Simon Beckett's new crime thriller will leave you gasping. Simon Beckett's sixth novel featuring the forensic anthropologist David Hunter is arguably his best . . . a superbly strong read. -- Marcel Berlins * THE TIMES * Beckett's masterful storytelling and macabre forensic details make his novels utterly chilling reads. -- TESS GERRITSEN

The Scent of Death: Harry Treadaway is Dr David Hunter: the darkly compelling new TV series 'The Chemistry of Death' - streaming now on Paramount+