DI Jon Spicer Books

First book in the critically-acclaimed Jon Spicer series, also includes the opening of the second novel in the series, Shifting Skin. Reviews 'I'll be downloading more of Chris Simms' books ASAP. I feel like I've found a hidden gem.' (Amazon Reader Review – Pecking Order) Chris Simms has been quietly building one of the best police procedural series in this country. (CATHOLIC HERALD) Pacy, gripping and original storytelling (YORKSHIRE POST) This highly polished study of madness and murder shows how well Simms’ talent is maturing. (SHOTS MAGAZINE) A must-read for those who like their crime fiction psychological (DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE) The story’s dramatic events are drawn out, gradually building to a page-turning, heart-stopping – and totally unexpected – ending. (THE BOOK PLACE) The novel’s high-quality storytelling has an authentic, documentary feel’ (CITY LIFE MAGAZINE) Book description The Commonwealth Games have come to Manchester and the city is buzzing. Caught up in the commercial feeding frenzy is Tom Benwell, an advertising executive. But the pressure is getting to Tom – too many deals to make and lies to tell. Meanwhile his friend, DI Jon Spicer, is on the fast track, showing a love for the job that borders on obsession, according to his girlfriend, Alice. Then, in the aftermath of the Games, a string of brutal murders shatters the city's new-found spirit. Spicer gets the case. Each victim has been murdered in the same bizarre and grotesque manner, yet the lack of motive leaves the police utterly baffled. With the race on to catch the killer, both men find themselves caught up in a nightmare where the most innocent action can cost the highest price. About the Author Chris Simms' acclaimed first novel in the DI Spicer series, KILLING THE BEASTS was selected as a Best Crime book for 2005 by SHOTS magazine. He was then selected as a Waterstone's Author for the Future, one of 25 writers tipped by publishers, editors and agents, to produce the most impressive body of work over the next quarter century. Since then he has been nominated several times for the THEAKSTON'S CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR and for CRIME WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION DAGGERS. Chris lives in Manchester. Find out more on his official web site, www.chrissimms.info or, for regular postings, see his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AuthorChrisSimms

"The Butcher of Belle Vue" has struck again. Like the first two victims, the third has been partially skinned, her muscles, tendons, and ligaments exposed to view. But this time her face has also been removed. Jon Spicer and his new partner, Rick Saville, are on the investigating team. The case is waiting for its first breakthrough when a woman approaches Jon insisting that she heard The Butcher claim his third victim in the room of a run-down hotel in Belle Vue. All she has to back up her story is a business card found in the room from a local escort agency with a name scribbled on the back. Jon's investigation takes him into the world of Manchester's escort agencies and the unscrupulous cosmetic surgery industry, and brings him face to face with the human propensity for violence.

The body of a woman with her throat ripped out is found on Saddleworth Moor, near Manchester. She is discovered in an area where numerous sightings of a mysterious big black cat have been made. When analysis shows the hairs caught under her nails are those of a panther, it’s assumed the animal has killed its first human victim. But then a man DI Jon Spicer is investigating as part of an entirely different case is murdered in exactly the same way. Only this time the body is found in a secluded car park – a popular gay rendezvous far closer to the city centre. Soon DI Spicer finds himself hunting a killer dubbed The Monster of the Moor, a creature whose stealth and savagery strike terror into the local population and way beyond.

The deliberate torching of a church creates outrages across Manchester, and when a charred corpse and satanic symbols are found in the smoking ruins, detective Jon Spicer and the city’s Major Incident Team are called in. Spicer quickly finds himself drawn into the depths of a horrifying religious underworld he didn’t know existed. Soon, fresh killings bring the realization that those responsible for the burnings are prepared to commit even more brutal crimes in their twisted homage to God. As emotions and paranoia flare throughout Manchester, Spicer fears for those closest to him as he struggles to halt the continuing atrocities.

Fifth book in the critically-acclaimed Jon Spicer series, also includes the opening of the sixth novel in the series, Cut Adrift. Reviews 'I'll be downloading more of Chris Simms' books ASAP. I feel like I've found a hidden gem.' (Amazon Reader Review – Pecking Order) Chris Simms has been quietly building one of the best police procedural series in this country. (CATHOLIC HERALD) Pacy, gripping and original storytelling (YORKSHIRE POST) This highly polished study of madness and murder shows how well Simms’ talent is maturing. (SHOTS MAGAZINE) A must-read for those who like their crime fiction psychological (DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE) The story’s dramatic events are drawn out, gradually building to a page-turning, heart-stopping – and totally unexpected – ending. (THE BOOK PLACE) The novel’s high-quality storytelling has an authentic, documentary feel’ (CITY LIFE MAGAZINE) Book description It's the phone call DI Jon Spicer has long dreaded - his wild younger brother, Dave, has been found murdered and horribly mutilated. Jon had hoped to steer him away from his drug-fuelled, self-destructive fate, but now must face the fact he failed. Full of anger, Jon heads to the town where Dave's body was discovered, bent on finding the killer. Meanwhile, Dave's young girlfriend, Zoe, is trapped in an inner-city hell. Vulnerable, destitute and now alone, she is being hunted by the vicious criminal Dave owed money to. Arriving in the Peak District, Jon finds a community with plenty to hide. With Zoe’s time running out and his own family cracking under the strain, Jon realises the truth of his brother's death lies in two a frightened girl trapped somewhere among Manchester's tower-blocks and out on the bleak heights overlooking the secretive rural town. About the Author Chris Simms' acclaimed first novel in the DI Spicer series, KILLING THE BEASTS was selected as a Best Crime book for 2005 by SHOTS magazine. He was then selected as a Waterstone's Author for the Future, one of 25 writers tipped by publishers, editors and agents, to produce the most impressive body of work over the next quarter century. Since then he has been nominated several times for the THEAKSTON'S CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR and for CRIME WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION DAGGERS. Chris lives in Manchester. Find out more on his official web site, www.chrissimms.info or, for regular postings, see his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AuthorChrisSimms

DI Jon Spicer's investigation into the vicious slaying of a Russian asylum-seeker grinds to a halt when the man's identity turns out to be false. The only truth to his story was the fact he was found drifting off the British coast in a boat. Before his true identity can be discovered, more asylum-seekers start to die - each murdered in the same horrific way. By the time Spicer realises what links the men, he knows there's a trained assassin at large who's desperate to guard a secret of enormous magnitude. And when he ignores MI5's warnings to back-off, Jon also realises, too late that he's now the target of a man whose sole purpose is to kill. And all the while, a series of heartbreaking and enigmatic messages are being found after drifting in from sea - slowly revealing the horrific plight of a group of refugees trapped on a raft. Powerful, compelling and poignant, this is the most unmissable outing to date for DI Jon Spicer.

Seventh in the critically-acclaimed DI Spicer series. Out walking with his family in the local park, Jon Spicer’s life is shattered forever. The dog – aggressive and huge - appears from nowhere. At first, Jon assumes the attack was random. Soon, other events force him to think again. With his family under threat, Jon can do only one thing: fight back. The pursuit leads him far from his home city of Manchester to the unfamiliar territory of Ireland – and a remote village where his family are originally from... Praise for the DI Spicer series. ‘I’ll be downloading more of Chris Simms’ books ASAP. I feel like I’ve discovered a hidden gem.’ (Amazon Reader review) ‘Chris Simms has been quietly building one of the best police procedural series in this country.’ (CATHOLIC HERALD)

Will your next move be your last? Manchester: an injured survivor from a motorway pile-up flees the scene, leaving behind evidence that a terror attack is being planned… Jon Spicer, newly trained as a Specialist Firearms Officer, has joined Manchester police’s Counter Terrorism Unit. Thrown out of his previous department and demoted to Detective Constable, he is being kept in the force only because he’ll take on the most dangerous of jobs. Iona Khan is struggling to find respect and recognition in the male-dominated Counter Terrorism Unit. Her mind might be sharp, but many of her colleagues value physical strength above anything else. As the investigation quickly snowballs, Spicer and Khan are thrown together. The two officers must learn to trust each other – and fast. Because in this chase, any wrong move could be your last.