The Cold Years (Sam Williams)

When so many haven't survived, just being alive can feel like a crime.

Everyone needs to be heard: if there's one thing Sam Williams has learned it's that. Which is why he finds himself defending Richard Fothergill against accusations that date back decades.

But Sam's real problems are closer to home. His nemesis, Trawden, is finally dead, but so are those he once called friends. The people he used to count on, the ones who aren't in the ground, aren't what they once were, either. DI Martins is on his back again, and she's got company. And Sam's girlfriend Claire might be recovering from her breakdown, but she's not telling him everything.

Life would be so much easier if Sam knew the answers. Instead, all he's got are questions.

Who is following him, and what do they want?

What did Fothergill really do to the children he taught?

And where was Claire the day Edward Trawden was killed?

Everyone has a secret to hide, but some secrets are too close to home

Praise for JOEL HAMES

"In Dead North, Hames' lawyer turned accidental sleuth, Sam Williams, finds himself far from home and neck deep in Manchester's seamy gangster scene. But what stands out in this intelligent, intricately woven crime procedural - with a plot to make your brain hurt - is the undercurrent of slick and highly enjoyable humour reminiscent of Raymond Chandler, updated for the twenty-first century. Loved it."S.E. Lynes, author of Mother, Valentina and The Pact

"I really enjoyed it. The characters spring off the page with such natural ease. I was gripped by the story - I love a book that takes turns where you least expect. It's going to leave me with a thriller hangover for some time."John Marrs, author of The One, The Good Samaritan and When You Disappeared

"Hames is such a talent that he has created a white-knuckle, breathlessly-paced read that also has heart. Beautifully written and thrilling, Dead North deserves to go to the top of any chart."Louise Beech, author of I Am Dust, How To Be Brave and Call Me Star Girl

"A pacy thriller, rich in voice and with gratifying degree of complexity. Hames knows how to deliver."John Bowen, author of Where the Dead Walk, Vessel and Death Stalks Kettle Street