Murder Under the Pier: an absolutely gripping British crime thriller full of twists

'I couldn't put it down. Gripping.' SIMON McCLEAVE on Body on the Flats

One murdered millionaire. Two suspects, with every reason to want him dead.

A haunted detective, who can't outrun his past . . .

A body hangs beneath the rotten boards of Southend Pier. Strung from a rusted beam and twisting in the chill February air. In life, wealthy entrepreneur Adam Golding had the Midas touch - coining a fortune from his chain of tawdry seaside arcades - but now his luck's run out.

Detective Edison Kane - still grieving a loss of his own - stares into the dead man's eyes and wonders . . . who left him like this?

Was it the wife Adam cheated on, over and over? Lavishing his mistresses with gifts, while she waited for him at home.

Or the brother who's never forgiven him for being their father's favourite son. Disinherited, Tony Golding dabbles in petty crime to pay the bills.

Both had means and motive. Who is guilty of the ultimate crime?

Kane's closing in on his prime suspect when a second body washes up on the shores of lonely Two Tree Island.

And the victim's identity changes everything . . .

An atmospheric, edge-of-your-seat thriller that's perfect for fans of Simon McCleave, Ann Cleeves, Cath Staincliffe, Elly Griffiths and C.J. Grayson.

THE SETTING

Southend-on-Sea, Essex is a classic British seaside resort, with pebbled beaches, garish amusements, fish and chip shops and the world's longest pleasure pier. But the neighbouring coastal landscapes couldn't be more different. To the west, the coast is dominated by shimmering mudflats, saltwater lagoons and an expansive sky. To the east, a labyrinth of creeks twist their way around brooding marshland and tidal islands.

MEET THE DETECTIVES

Tormented DI Edison Kane is a man with more demons than most. Relentlessly driven, he's given everything to rise to the top of the Essex Police Force. Including his beloved wife Lizzy. He will always be haunted by the memory of the fateful night when she went out with workmates. Never to return. His deep sense of guilt at being unable to protect her fuels everything he does. Will it also be his undoing?

Rookie DC Bailey Granger triggers all of Kane's protective instincts. But she's tougher than she looks - and isn't afraid to tell him so. A feisty single mum, Granger has flawless instincts and the work ethic to match. Nothing matters more to Granger than building a bright future for her beloved daughter Daisy. She won't let anything stand in the way of that - not her humble origins or her questionable family ties.