Killing The Beasts by
Chris Simms
pbk out July 05
(Orion)
at £10.99
Second novel from Simms, which is set in the run up to the Commonwealth Games 2002 in
Manchester. The city is in the grip of Games fever – many people hoping to make a killing
(commercial not literal). Among them is Tom Benwell, an advertising manager. But work is
spiralling out of control and the lies he tells to cover his tracks soon enmesh him in a
nightmare. In the aftermath of the Games, a series of brutal murders rocks the city. Each
victim is despatched in a bizarre and ugly way. DI Jon Spicer, one of Tom's friends,
investigates but motiveless crimes are the hardest to solve.
An entertaining thriller. Simms' rendition of Manchester is spot-on and he captures the
atmosphere of the hype and excitement in 2002 very well. He brings his insider knowledge
as a freelance copywriter to bear on the depiction of the heady, hustling world of
advertising. His greatest achievement is in the convincing and vivid portrayal of a psyche
disintegrating.
(
Cath Staincliffe
author of the popular Sal Kilkenny mysteries and the series creator of TV Blue Murder)
Killing The Beasts by
Chris Simms
