PEACE IS OUT. REVENGE IS ON.

'William Shaw is one of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction' Peter James
'If you're not a fan yet, why not?' Val McDermid
'An emotional intensity found only in the very best crime fiction' Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year

Never forgotten

Teenager Alexandra Tozer was murdered on her family's farm. Five years later, her sister Helen will return.

Never suspected

As soon as DS Breen tracks down the original investigating sergeant, the man goes missing. And so does Helen.

Never revealed

The only connection between the suspects is the Kenya Emergency - a nightmare that Englishmen prefer to forget.

But others remember. Every bloody detail. And when another woman is taken, Breen fears that history - in all its shame and horror - is coming back to haunt them.

About the Author

William Shaw has been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger, longlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year and nominated for a Barry Award. A regular at festivals, he organises panel talks and CWA events across the south east.
Shaw is the author of the acclaimed Breen & Tozer crime series: A Song from Dead Lips, A House of Knives, A Book of Scars and Sympathy for the Devil; and the standalone bestseller The Birdwatcher. He is writing a new crime series starring the character DS Alexandra Cupidi from The Birdwatcher, the first of which is Salt Lane. He worked as a journalist for over twenty years and lives in Brighton.

Reviews
A Book of Scars combines nostalgic period detail with an emotional intensity found only in the very best crime fiction * Sunday Times *
William Shaw delivers a perfect motive in the third of his excellent Breen and Tozer mysteries . . . Shaw reminds us that 'brutality creates brutality', and this is true for every side of a conflict. The killer's explanatory speech, a bit perfunctory in most crime books, here unfolds a fascinatingly dark tale . . . This is a proper conspiracy thriller, with shameful secrets hidden behind government regulation. It involves real history, real people, real crimes with real consequences * Spectator *
A Book of Scars is both a first-rate mystery and a compelling and accurate portrait of a changing society that is confused about the present and ill-at-ease with the past -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *
In this conclusion to a thoroughly gripping trilogy, Shaw draws incisive attention to little-known historical events and crafts a wholly satisfying thriller * Kirkus *
CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR. William Shaw completes his marvellous trilogy of crime novels with A Book of Scars. Shaw captures the mood of London in the 1960s, using his working class detectives to convey the bewildering pace of social change. His intricate plots are full of surprises, reflecting the brutal legacy of colonialism * Sunday Times *
Superb . . . Shaw picks up multiple plot threads, expertly weaving them into a complex story that explores the darkest parts of the human psyche and the erosion of one man's humanity, while balancing the delicate and awkwardly sweet relationship between the traditional Breen and decidedly untraditional Helen . . . Shaw perfectly captures the end of an uneasy era, and the utterly terrifying final scene will leave readers breathless * Publisher's Weekly *
Echoes Robert Gailbraith's (aka JK Rowling) crime novels, and neither author suffers by the comparison....A totally engaging series, thick in period detail like a cloud of patchouli but with an always timely reminder that at any time the past can up and bite you on the butt. * Library Journal, Starred Review *
Shaw raises the bar with each entry in this series....Against a backdrop of taut suspense and occasionally raw violence, Paddy and Helen continue trying to work out their feelings for each other, which deepen in fits and starts with each novel. A genre-bending psychological thriller. * Booklist, Starred Review *
Thoroughly gripping...Shaw draws incisive attention to little-known historical events and crafts a wholly satisfying thriller. * Kirkus Reviews *
Big treat in store for fans. And if you're not a fan yet, why not? * Val McDermid *
A Book of Scars combines nostalgic period detail with an emotional intensity found only in the very best crime fiction * Sunday Times *
William Shaw delivers a perfect motive in the third of his excellent Breen and Tozer mysteries . . . Shaw reminds us that 'brutality creates brutality', and this is true for every side of a conflict. The killer's explanatory speech, a bit perfunctory in most crime books, here unfolds a fascinatingly dark tale . . . This is a proper conspiracy thriller, with shameful secrets hidden behind government regulation. It involves real history, real people, real crimes with real consequences * Spectator *
A Book of Scars is both a first-rate mystery and a compelling and accurate portrait of a changing society that is confused about the present and ill-at-ease with the past -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *
In this conclusion to a thoroughly gripping trilogy, Shaw draws incisive attention to little-known historical events and crafts a wholly satisfying thriller * Kirkus *
CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR. William Shaw completes his marvellous trilogy of crime novels with A Book of Scars. Shaw captures the mood of London in the 1960s, using his working class detectives to convey the bewildering pace of social change. His intricate plots are full of surprises, reflecting the brutal legacy of colonialism * Sunday Times *
Superb . . . Shaw picks up multiple plot threads, expertly weaving them into a complex story that explores the darkest parts of the human psyche and the erosion of one man's humanity, while balancing the delicate and awkwardly sweet relationship between the traditional Breen and decidedly untraditional Helen . . . Shaw perfectly captures the end of an uneasy era, and the utterly terrifying final scene will leave readers breathless * Publisher's Weekly *
Echoes Robert Gailbraith's (aka JK Rowling) crime novels, and neither author suffers by the comparison....A totally engaging series, thick in period detail like a cloud of patchouli but with an always timely reminder that at any time the past can up and bite you on the butt. * Library Journal, Starred Review *
Shaw raises the bar with each entry in this series....Against a backdrop of taut suspense and occasionally raw violence, Paddy and Helen continue trying to work out their feelings for each other, which deepen in fits and starts with each novel. A genre-bending psychological thriller. * Booklist, Starred Review *
[A] superb conclusion to his crime trilogy....Shaw perfectly captures the end of an uneasy era, and the utterly terrifying final scene will leave readers breathless. * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review *
Thoroughly gripping...Shaw draws incisive attention to little-known historical events and crafts a wholly satisfying thriller. * Kirkus Reviews *



Book Information
ISBN 9781782064275
Author William Shaw
Format Paperback
Page Count 432
Imprint riverrun
Publisher Quercus Publishing
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 30mm