Watermarked

The body of the dead woman has been in the Severn for some time, slowly drifting downstream until lodging in the exposed roots of a willow… What remains is not a pretty sight. The river has washed away much of the forensic evidence. There is enough left, however, to suggest to Superintendent Lambert and Detective Sergeant Bert Hook that she did not meet her death by accident — and that she was killed elsewhere before being dumped into the river. Slowly and patiently, they build up a picture of a woman of contradictions: a woman who harboured secret passions. Their investigation leads them to each of the key figures in her life — her husband, daughter, estranged son, business manager. Each have secrets of their own to hide and putative alibis that declare them incapable of committing the act of murder during the time-frame indicated by the coroner. Yet beneath the surface of each of these individuals bubbles resentment and anger, passion and pride, that could easily have led them to not only wish Laura Pritchard dead, but to act on that desire. As Lambert and Hook chase down leads and probe into the backgrounds of their suspects, the killer watches and waits, ready to strike again… Watermarked is an intense thriller with many twists and turns that keep you guessing. Praise for J.M. Gregson 'Lambert and Hook…gritty realism and hard-to-solve mysteries' — Booklist '…the series is recommended for its gritty realism and hard-to-solve mysteries' — Booklist 'Well done, suspenseful and engaging' — Library journal 'For Morse fans grieving the recent demise of their hero Gregson makes an agreeable successor…' — Booklist '…compelling characters who deserve the attention of procedural fans' — Booklist James Michael Gregson taught for twenty-seven years in schools, colleges and universities before concentrating on full-time writing. He has written books on subjects as diverse as golf and Shakespeare. His other crime novels include Stranglehold and Body Politic and he is much in demand as a lecturer and public speaker. Most of his detective novels are set in his adopted county of Gloucestershire, in the attractive country of the Forest of Dean and the southern Cotswolds.