A Fragile Mercy

Behind closed doors, everyone has something to hide…

The fifth book in the gripping DS Malkie McCulloch crime thriller series. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, JM Dalgliesh and JD Kirk.

Sebastian Beauchamp is found savagely attacked in his own home – the assault is intimate and deeply personal. Someone wanted him to suffer.

As DS Malkie McCulloch investigates, Beauchamp’s polished surface quickly fractures. Beneath the charm and power lies a pattern of cruelty – and a trail of women whose lives he destroyed.

Then someone confesses. The case should be closed.

But Malkie isn’t buying it. The real truth is far more heartbreaking.

With his partner, DC Steph Lang, fighting to protect the career she’s given everything to, and a devastating new development in his mother’s unsolved murder pushing him towards a truth he may not be ready to face, this case will test everything he thinks he knows about guilt, innocence and the people caught between them.

Read this if you like…
- A detective haunted by his own cold case
- A partnership pushed to breaking point
- A suspect who deserves protection, not a cell
- Villains who hide behind power and charm
- A series that keeps pulling you back

Readers can’t stop talking about the DS Malkie McCulloch series:

‘I absolutely devoured this book… What a complex, loveable character… the author is fast becoming one of my favourites in the genre and up with the best. Please bring us more Malkie soon!’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘I dove into this book without having read the first in the series and finished it in one sitting! A resounding 5 stars.’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘I was definitely not disappointed! Another fantastic book and it’s safe to say Doug Sinclair has earned himself a fan in me!’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, serial killers, a fantastic who-done-it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book and series!’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘A fast-moving, edge-of-the-seat novel you won’t be able to put down.’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘Oh wow… a twisty, turning story involving a senior officer in Police Scotland. Revenge is best served cold.’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘I had to finish this entertaining story in one sitting… an immersing tapestry of justice, revenge and murder.’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘Kept me guessing for a very long time.’ Reader review, 5 stars

‘An exciting and well-thought-out murder mystery that keeps your interest to the very end.’ Reader review, 5 stars

Doug Sinclair lives in West Lothian, with a very patient wife and three furry dependents. He is the author of the DS Malkie McCulloch series, set in the semi-rural (but wild in ways he's always loved) regions of central Scotland. The first in the series, _Blood Runs Deep, _was published in February 2024.