Louisa Scarr: Gallows Wood [2024] paperback

The signs are unmistakable. The dog halts, his nose up nostrils quivering. Every inch of him is poised. Moss has a scent.

When a hand is found in Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her specialist search dog Moss must find the rest of the body. What they uncover is a killer's dumping ground. Like every case since her husband's mysterious disappearance, Lucy wonders if this one will bring her closer to the truth. Nico was a journalist with a reputation for getting buried in his work; Lucy is certain that this time he delved too deep.

With new DI Jack Ellis calling the shots, Lucy struggles to keep her professionalism intact. She can't stay away from these murders and a killer who may hold the answers she desperately wants. But with those at the very heart of the investigation withholding secrets of their own, can more brutal deaths be prevented?

The first book in the gripping new police procedural series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday. Perfect for fans of Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid and Susie Steiner.

Praise for Gallows Wood

'Dark, funny and addictive, this new crime series is a joy' Jo Furniss, author of The Last to Know

'Deft plotting, super-fast pace and an enthralling dive into the lives of police dog handlers make this a book to sniff out and devour' Heather Critchlow, author of Unburied

'I fell head over heels for Lucy and Moss. With echoes of Line Of Duty, this is a detective series to watch out for' Rachael Blok, author of The Fall

'Gripping from the first page, this book was as pacy as a spaniel on the scent' Fliss Chester, author of Death on the Scotland Express

'Gritty, edge-of-your-seat stuff' Emma Styles, author of No Country For Girls

'A blistering beginning to a new series. Perfectly paced with twists and turns which kept me guessing... Louisa Scarr is one of the best crime writers in the UK' James Delargy, author of Into the Flames

'Louisa Scarr has created something incredible. A story as brutal and deceptive as any crime fiction fan could ever crave' Graham Bartlett, author of City on Fire

'An enthralling start to this engaging new series with an ending so propulsive I may have forgotten to breathe' Marion Todd, author of Bridges to Burn

'Pacy, twisty, shocking... absolutely first-class characters' Cressida McLaughlin, author of The Staycation

'A twisty mystery, characters you want to root for, and black humour. The start of an excellent new series!' Chris Frost, author of The Killer's Christmas List

'Lightning pace, great characters and superb writing ... A fresh take on the police procedural' Eleanor Ray, author of Everything is Beautiful

'Pacy, gripping and full of twists' Tariq Ashkanani, author of Welcome to Cooper

'This will become your next obsession' Alison Belsham, author of The Innocent Angels

'An urgent, uncompromising thriller from one of the best storytellers in the game' Dominic Nolan, author of White City

'Had me gripped from the very first page. Character-driven crime writing at its best' Robert Rutherford, author of Seven Days

'By far the best read I've had this summer. Gritty and compelling, I was invested in Lucy and Moss from the first chapter' Blake Mara, author of The Dog Park Detectives