This pacy crime debut by Perth author Brett Adams will appeal to fans of hard-boiled detective fiction, puzzling plots, and books about literature and writing.
When literature professor Jack Griffen becomes tangled up in his student’s international killing spree, a race against time begins. Jack travels the world to try to stop Hieronymous Beck before he kills again … and again. But he soon finds himself wanted by the police and having trouble convincing anyone that Hiero is not just a fictional character.
As well as being action-packed, this novel takes a quieter interest in literature and writing, with a particular emphasis on the true crime genre. Like much true crime, Blood & Ink is less a ‘whodunnit’ than a ‘why did they do that’, the narrative driven forward by a question: why is Hiero compelled to kill?
Suspenseful, witty and at times laconic in its delivery, this is an impressive first outing by Adams.