Smoke

Publisher's Review 

'Atmospheric, fast-paced, and almost unbearably tense - I was deeply immersed in Alex Markov's dangerous, unpredictable world. Brissenden has created characters you'll care about and a page-turner that'll keep you guessing. This is a cracking crime novel and his best book yet.' - Mark Brandi

'A blistering tale of murder, betrayal, and corruption in small town America. The writing is so good I could feel the heat of the California wildfires. Smoke could just be the best crime thriller you'll read this year.' - Tim Ayliffe

What secrets lie in the ashes?

After a brutal wildfire tears through the town of Jasper in the Californian sierras, a body is discovered in a shed. It looks like an open-and-shut case of accidental death - until further investigation reveals that the victim was locked in from the outside.

Years after leaving Jasper, Detective Alex Markov has been sent back under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. She is convinced that the man, a family friend, was murdered opportunistically under the cover of the fire. As the smoke clears, Alex reveals a town corrupt to its core - but exposing that corruption could destroy her and the people she loves. Will she ignore the crookedness and deceit, or face the consequences of pursuing an inconvenient truth?