Purged

Description

Matt Hunter lost his faith a long time ago. He is now a professor of sociology writing books that debunk the Christian faith and assisting the Metropolitan Police with religiously-motivated crimes. One summer his family holiday in Hobbs Hill, Oxfordshire, but Matt find himself instantly on edge in this seemingly idyllic village where wooden crosses hang at every turn. The holiday becomes more sinister still when a local teenage girl goes missing, followed by a second woman and then a third. In the end it is up to Matt to draw upon his theological knowledge to protect his family and catch a killer.

Peter Laws is an ordained Baptist minister with a taste for the macabre. He writes a monthly column in The Fortean Times and also hosts the popular podcast and YouTube show The Flicks That Church Forgot which reviews thriller and horror films from a theological perspective. He regularly speaks and preaches at churches and events. He lives with his family in Bedfordshire.

'A book that is nigh impossible to put down and will leave the reader hooked from start to finish ... Let's welcome Matt Hunter to the world of macabre crime fiction. He's a damaged, complicated and interesting man, and we're looking forward to spending more time with him.' Starburst Magazine; 'Like James Herbert at his best ... I haven't been this creeped out by a novel since Let The Right One In and whilst Purged isn't a standard 'horror' it is packed with disturbing themes that will linger in your mind ... Purged is the first in a new macabre crime fiction series, dark and intense, creepy and quirky' Dark Matters; 'Compelling reading ... Law manages to conjure up menace from ostensibly benign surroundings. He also spins the tale cleverly so that we are persuaded to look in completely the wrong direction for the culprit, and he keeps us blind-sided until the last few pages of the book.' Fully Booked; 'Stole a day of my life and possibly a little of my soul. Definitely my sleep. ... The writing is smart, funny, dark as sin (yes I did that) and incredibly immersive. The plotting is pacy yet considered, the characters live and breathe on the page and the story itself is scary good. No I mean actually scary. And good.' Liz Loves Books; 'Dark, fast moving, psychologically thoughtful gem. ... A whole new take on the 'troubled cop' genre mixing dark, light and more dark into a riveting gripper. Peter Laws is a real find.' Sunday Sport; 'An engaging debut' Daily Mail; 'A devilishly cunning and creepily macabre murder mystery.' Peterborough Evening Telegraph