Dying Wish

Description

Murder, kidnap, torture - these are not words usually associated with Britain's beautiful New Forest National Park. But when local author Grant Mason has a heart attack, he makes a bizarre dying wish: he wants his loyal assistant to burn his house down. The request sets off a chain of events that leads to a huge police hunt for a missing couple and a deranged killer. DCI Jeff Temple and his Major Investigations Team take on their toughest case yet, and in the process they uncover vicious depravity and horror that was meant to lie buried forever. This is the fourth book by James Raven in the hugely successful DCI Jeff Temple series.

James Raven was a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for local, regional and national newspapers he moved into television in 1982 as a news scriptwriter with TVS television where he then worked his way up to become Director of News across Meridian, Anglia and HTV. When Granada took over most of ITV he became Managing Director of Granada Sport before setting up his own production company. James spends much of his time writing and travelling and also performs magic at various venues across the country. James has previously published four novels with Robert Hale, including Urban Myth and Random Targets.

'The setting was key for this action-packed work of fiction. The characters and dialogue were real. Dying Wish is highly recommended.' Bestsellers world 'DCI Jeff Temple continues to intrigue me. He is a complex and well-rounded narrator...I couldn't put the novel down. I read it in a day...I found Dying Wish an immersive story that captured and held my attention throughout.' Luxury Reading 'Dying Wish will entertain fans of the genre. Temple himself is a decent sort of fellow, and we do care about him and his personal life, which is the acid test of any character driven novel. The narrative rattles on at a decent pace, and there is a very clever plot twist at the end - one which experienced crime fiction readers may well be able to see coming.' Crime Fiction Lover 'This one kept me on the edge of my seat and was super interesting. The story was well written and kept you guessing all the way. There were a lot of times where I thought I had the mystery solved only to be proven wrong in the next couple of chapters. Jeff Temple was such a strong character. He was quick-witted, smart, interesting, and for lack of a better term, felt real.' Books and Ladders 'Dying Wish serves up a satisfying dish of intrigue, interpersonal relationships, and subplots with connected puzzles that all lead up to a grand finale of grim discoveries and a confrontation that may prove Temple's final undoing. To find out, read the story, which is recommended for murder mystery readers who enjoy surprises and will appreciate the slowly evolving human horror permeating and marring the history and pristine atmosphere of New Forest.' Midwest Book Review 'Thoroughly enjoyable, no frills, no nonsense, just good old detective work in modern Britain. Superb.' Books Monthly 'This is the fourth book in the DCI Jeff Temple Series but the first one that I have read. I was hooked from the start. The pace of the story was quick and kept my interest throughout. I was anxious to see how all the pieces and players fit together. The criminal investigation was conducted in a methodical way as each part of the story unfolded. I did not find the story to be predictable and I was kept guessing until the end. I thought Jeff Temple was a likeable and believable character. While the focus of the book is solving the crime, there is a side story dealing with his personal life which, in my view, made his character all the more compelling. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and would recommend it to anyone interested in a fast paced story of the police investigation required to solve a mystery.' Bestcrimebooksandmore 'I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller. The twist at the end was thoroughly plotted and brilliantly executed! I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but the end will probably blow your mind!' Mysteries Etcetera 'The author had me hooked straight from the start so much so that I read it in less than a day as I could not put it down. It certainly is not a book for the faint hearted. I can't believe I haven't come across this author's work before now and I'm certainly looking forward to the fact that there are the first three in the series which I have yet to have the pleasure of reading,' Bytheletterbookreviews 'James Raven is hitting good strides with this novel' ... 'fans of Broadchurch, The Fall, or Luthor will find a lot to enjoy in Dying Wish.' Sin Francisco Book Review 'You will not be able to put down Dying Wish by James Raven.' ... 'James Raven has crafted a fascinating and eerie tale of abuse, torture, murder and a hint of love' ... 'An exceptionally well-written novel, Dying Wish is one you need in your library.' Red City Review 'OMG! What a read - the books are getting better and better - intrigue, mystery and a very good plot.' ... ' I was unable to put this down.' Lucy The Book Reviewer 'In this book as with his previous one Random Targets, James Raven creates a situation that is the stuff of night-mares, but a most compelling, interesting and fascinating one. If there is a message in this book, it is 'Remember people are not what they appear on the surface'. And beware! Highly recommended.' Mystery People 'Very well written and makes your imagination go wild thinking what is going on after only giving you a snippet of information. I'm sure fans of James Raven already know this but this man can write very good stories. This is the sort of thing that if it was a series on TV, I would use the "series link" button after one episode.' Confessions of a Reviewer 'James Raven doesn't seem to feel the need to jump through ever more bizarre hoops in his killings; he just slots in enough detail to hit home hard and then lets your imagination take over and do the rest.' Crime Review 'A chilling and suspenseful book to read again. If you did not read the previous instalments, you will most probably also want to read them now.' My Train of Thoughts on... 'Dying Wish is a solid, well written and well plotted book, easy to visualise, with an uncompromising and chilling storyline' ... 'James Raven does a great job keeping the tension and pace going with unexpected twists, especially at the end.' Rosie Amber