Spiral of Lies

'Johnny Hawke breathes new life into the traditional British mystery. He's a hero with a heart.' Val McDermid 1950.

England.

In the midst of the growing Cold War, Detective Johnny 'One Eye' Hawke is approached by Frances Clements, to help locate her missing husband. A seemingly ordinary case, nothing can prepare Hawke for the mystery that unravels. Clements is not who his wife thought he was, and Hawke's new client is found dead a day later.

Hawke sets out on a dangerous investigation, alongside Mrs Clements' sister, who came to support Frances after her husband's disappearance. They soon discover that this mystery is bigger than a missing person.

Clements was living a secret life and now appears to be on the run with something in his possession that threatens the peace and stability of Britain. Johnny has to track down this shadowy figure before he disappears but there are others who desire to reach Clements first.

As the case unfolds, so does the web of lies in which Hawke becomes entangled. But who can be trusted? Who is telling the truth?

Both a murder mystery and spy thriller, Spiral of Lies is full of unexpected twists and gripping set pieces.

Author David Stuart Davies is also a film historian and expert on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. He is a member of the national committee of the Crime Writers' Association and has edited Red Herrings, their monthly publication, since 1999.

Praise for David Stuart Davies:

'Dark but very compelling. David Stuart Davies knows how to write and how to twist the knife inside the reader's mind.' Peter James '

A neatly crafted crime novel offering an unusual perspective on London, by turns dark and poignant.' Andrew Taylor

'A strong story immaculately told. What a rare pleasure it is to discover a book that you can truly call a thriller. Wartime London is beautifully evoked in a plot as crafty as the black market.' Peter Lovesey

'Wartime London makes a great setting for crime fiction and Davies uses it shrewdly. Johnny Hawke is a keeper.' Booklist