Fall (35 page)

Candice Fox

Winner of the Ned Kelly Award 2014 for Best First Fiction

 

Everyone knew what Hades was doing. Everyone knew what he was capable of.

Hades Archer surrounds himself with the things others leave behind. Their trash becomes the twisted sculptures that line his junkyard. The bodies they want disposed of become his problem – for a fee.

Then one night a man arrives on his doorstep, clutching a small bundle that he wants ‘lost'. And Hades makes a decision that will change everything …

Twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett feels like the luckiest man on the force when he meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. But there's something strange about Eden and her brother, Eric. Something he can't quite put his finger on.

At first, as they race to catch a very different kind of serial killer, his partner's sharp instincts come in handy. But soon Frank's wondering if she's as dangerous as the man they hunt.

 

‘One of the stand-out crime thrillers of the last few years.'
The Chronicle

 

‘Compelling and all the more impressive for being Candice Fox's debut … a chilling read.'
Sydney Morning Herald

Candice Fox

Winner of the Ned Kelly Award 2015 for Best Fiction

 

I fool myself that Eden has a heart – that she would at least have trouble killing me
…

Most police duos run on trust, loyalty, and the desire to see killers in court. But Detective Frank Bennett's partner, the enigmatic Eden Archer, has nothing to offer him but darkness and danger. She doesn't mind catching killers – but it's not the courthouse where her justice is served.

And now Eden is about to head undercover to find three missing girls. The only link between the victims is a remote farm where the desperate go to hide and blood falls more often than rain. For Frank, the priority is to keep his partner monitored 24/7 while she's there – but is it for Eden's protection, or to protect their suspects from her?

Across the city at the Utulla Tip, someone is watching Hades Archer, a man whose criminal reputation is the stuff of legend. Unmasking the stalker for him might be just what Frank needs to stay out of trouble while Eden's away.

But it's going to take a trip into Hades' past to discover the answers – and what Frank uncovers may well put everyone in danger …

 

‘A sizzling page-turner.'
Daily Telegraph

 

‘Fox again grabs her reader by the throat from the get-go and does not relinquish her grip … Gripping, confronting and powerful.'
Western Advocate