Gone to Ground - Hardcover

Harvey, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 043401446X ISBN 13: 9780434014460

Publisher: William Heinemann, 2007

Synopsis

From one of Britain’s leading crime writers — Flesh and Blood, Ash and Bone — comes his new book — sure
to go straight to the top of the bestseller lists.

Will’s first thought when he saw the man’s face: it was like a glove that had been pulled inside out.

When police detective Will Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker are called upon to investigate the violent death of Stephen Bryan, a gay Cambridge academic, their first thoughts are of an ill-judged sexual encounter, of rough trade gone wrong.

But as their investigation widens, their attention focuses on the biography Bryan was writing about the life and death of fifties film star, Stella Leonard, whose death from drowning, when the car she was driving skidded mysteriously off a lonely Fenland road, uncannily echoed the climax of her most notorious film, Shattered Glass.

With Bryan’s journalist sister egging them on, and bringing herself into mortal danger as she conducts her own investigation, Will and Helen gradually peel away the secrets of a family blighted by a lust for wealth and power and its own perverted sexuality.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Typical Harvey: thoughtful, well written, full of believable characters and satisfying twists."—The Times (London)

 

When police detective Will Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker, investigate the violent death of Stephen Bryan, a gay academic, their first thoughts are of an ill-judged sexual encounter or a fatal lovers’ quarrel. But they soon shift focus to the book Bryan was writing about the life and mysterious death of fifties film star Stella Leonard. While Bryan’s sister puts herself in danger by conducting her own investigation, Grayson and Walker peel away the secrets of a family blighted by a lust for wealth and power and by its perverted sexuality.

On the heels of his critically acclaimed Frank Elder series, John Harvey delivers a page-turner both subtle and devastating.

 

"[A] dandy stand-alone mystery, filled with engaging characters and an intriguing, well-constructed plot."—The Kansas City Star

 

"Harvey keeps the devastating secret at the center of the tale well hidden until the end. Highly recommended for British mystery lovers."--Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

 

JOHN HARVEY is the author of the Charlie Resnick novels and the Frank Elder series, and a recipient of the Silver Dagger Award, the Barry Award, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement, among other honors. He lives in London.

From the Inside Flap:

When police detective Will Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker, investigate the violent death of Stephen Bryan, a gay academic, their first thoughts are of an ill-judged sexual encounter or a fatal lovers’ quarrel: The man’s face was like a glove that had been pulled inside out. But after they notice Bryan’s computer is missing, their focus soon widens. Could the attack be connected to the book Bryan was writing about the life and mysterious death of fifties film star Stella Leonard?

Convinced that Bryan had discovered a shocking truth about Leonard’s rich and influential family, his sister Lesley throws herself into her own amateur investigation. But as Grayson and Walker delve into the past and the circumstances of Bryan’s death, they find a vortex of lust, power, and wealth in which nothing is straightforward—and no one is safe.

On the heels of his acclaimed Frank Elder series, John Harvey delivers a page-turner both subtle and devastating.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Heinemann
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 043401446X
• ISBN 13: 9780434014460
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464