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The Trust
In 1942, following experiments with Anthrax off the west coast of Scotland, a number of people on the mainland are infected and die. The bodies are taken away under cover of darkness.
In present day Lancaster the site of a former mental asylum, Moorcastle, is being redeveloped. The discovery of a body halts the work and leads to an investigation led by Detective Inspector Tom Ashton and his boss DCI Klavan. By the end of day one, a host of bodies has been uncovered leading to one of the biggest inquiries in the town's history and a media circus.
But the story quickly catches the attention of the Ministry of Defence and the bodies disappear, again under cover of darkness, with orders that the investigation be dropped.
Rhiannon Lily Saxby hates her name and her job. Her medical studies were cut short by a horrific car crash following a long shift at the hospital. Now she fills her days working at the Equipment Service for the Primary Care Trust. Her childhood was effectively ended when her mother was sectioned to Moorcastle Asylum, leaving her terrified of such institutions and delighted that the disused facility is being demolished.
As a medical student Rhiannon heard many stories about the abuse of patients in asylums and has long wondered if her own mother suffered while she was a patient but has never dared ask. Her world is further rocked when her manager hints that members of the Primary Care Trust may be taking the decision to end a patients life to ease their suffering.
The discovery of the body of a young woman keeps the media spotlight firmly fixed on the town and on DI Tom Ashton. DCI Klavan, Tom's boss, is also struck by similarities to another body found a year earlier in a neighbouring district, prompting speculation that a serial killer may be at work.
As the pressure on DI Tom Ashton to catch the killer increases it becomes clear that the Trust is at the heart of everything.
Can Rhiannon find evidence of patient abuse within the records of the Trust to support her suspicions?
Is there really a secret society operating within the Trust who are playing God with the lives of patients?
With the body count rising can Tom Ashton stop the serial killer before he strikes again?
In present day Lancaster the site of a former mental asylum, Moorcastle, is being redeveloped. The discovery of a body halts the work and leads to an investigation led by Detective Inspector Tom Ashton and his boss DCI Klavan. By the end of day one, a host of bodies has been uncovered leading to one of the biggest inquiries in the town's history and a media circus.
But the story quickly catches the attention of the Ministry of Defence and the bodies disappear, again under cover of darkness, with orders that the investigation be dropped.
Rhiannon Lily Saxby hates her name and her job. Her medical studies were cut short by a horrific car crash following a long shift at the hospital. Now she fills her days working at the Equipment Service for the Primary Care Trust. Her childhood was effectively ended when her mother was sectioned to Moorcastle Asylum, leaving her terrified of such institutions and delighted that the disused facility is being demolished.
As a medical student Rhiannon heard many stories about the abuse of patients in asylums and has long wondered if her own mother suffered while she was a patient but has never dared ask. Her world is further rocked when her manager hints that members of the Primary Care Trust may be taking the decision to end a patients life to ease their suffering.
The discovery of the body of a young woman keeps the media spotlight firmly fixed on the town and on DI Tom Ashton. DCI Klavan, Tom's boss, is also struck by similarities to another body found a year earlier in a neighbouring district, prompting speculation that a serial killer may be at work.
As the pressure on DI Tom Ashton to catch the killer increases it becomes clear that the Trust is at the heart of everything.
Can Rhiannon find evidence of patient abuse within the records of the Trust to support her suspicions?
Is there really a secret society operating within the Trust who are playing God with the lives of patients?
With the body count rising can Tom Ashton stop the serial killer before he strikes again?
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2013
2 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Sinclair
14 books6 followersOriginally I'm a Yorkshire boy (as of 1976 when I was born) but have lived in Lancashire since I was four. Specifically my parents moved to Morecambe, the seaside and to this day I still love looking at the sea. Morecambe tends to be the setting for my books. My new police procedural, Crossing The Line, is the first to feature DI Joe Keegan. It's set in Morecambe, and neighbouring Lancaster. Earlier crime thriller Beneath The Surface and it's sequel are set in and around some iconic buildings in the town and my detective thriller The Trust also takes place in neighbouring Lancaster. My addictive suspense thriller, I Remember You, published in December 2022, and is also set in Morecambe.
I have an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. I'd thoroughly recommend the course to anyone interested in writing as it's great to be around like minded folk. I wrote my debut novel as part of the course. Playground Cool is a funny and heart-warming story about love and second chances. It's also set in Manchester.
My favourite author is Stephen King and I maintain that when he's on form he's as good as anyone has ever been. Unfortunately, in my opinion, he is often sold short as merely a writer of horror stories. Still, he's hardly struggling for readers. My favourite book is Catcher in the Rye although it's not everyone's idea of fun.
I'm also a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club and, before he retired, I was a bit obsessed with Roger Federer. I'm also, thanks in large part to my dad, a big fan of The Rolling Stones.
You can get up to date offers by clicking the 'Follow' button. I'm also on the usual social media channels. For book news go to my Facebook page or track me down on what used to be called Twitter (@Hesty7). For pictures of my garden and which vinyl records I'm listening to have a look at my Instagram (hestbank7).
I have an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. I'd thoroughly recommend the course to anyone interested in writing as it's great to be around like minded folk. I wrote my debut novel as part of the course. Playground Cool is a funny and heart-warming story about love and second chances. It's also set in Manchester.
My favourite author is Stephen King and I maintain that when he's on form he's as good as anyone has ever been. Unfortunately, in my opinion, he is often sold short as merely a writer of horror stories. Still, he's hardly struggling for readers. My favourite book is Catcher in the Rye although it's not everyone's idea of fun.
I'm also a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club and, before he retired, I was a bit obsessed with Roger Federer. I'm also, thanks in large part to my dad, a big fan of The Rolling Stones.
You can get up to date offers by clicking the 'Follow' button. I'm also on the usual social media channels. For book news go to my Facebook page or track me down on what used to be called Twitter (@Hesty7). For pictures of my garden and which vinyl records I'm listening to have a look at my Instagram (hestbank7).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 21, 2013
I have read all of this author's books and, although most of them have been outside my usual genre of choice, I have enjoyed them all. Now this book IS my usual read so I started it knowing that it had a bit to live up to to satisfy me.
And boy did it... Once again the characters came across so real that I reckon this author does more than his fair share of people watching! The background and description are kept to the right amount, enough to support the story but not too much that they take the reader's attention away from it.
There are a few story-lines running through the book - multiple bodies unearthed, abuse in asylums, euthanasia and, if that wasn't enough, the author throws in a serial killer too. All these stories are quite major and there could have been a danger that there was too much going on in the book but the author manages very successfully to keep it balanced and juggles the stories throughout to give completely satisfactory conclusions.
I am not sure if this is stand alone or if we will be seeing Rhiannon and Tom in future books, I for one would like that very much.
And boy did it... Once again the characters came across so real that I reckon this author does more than his fair share of people watching! The background and description are kept to the right amount, enough to support the story but not too much that they take the reader's attention away from it.
There are a few story-lines running through the book - multiple bodies unearthed, abuse in asylums, euthanasia and, if that wasn't enough, the author throws in a serial killer too. All these stories are quite major and there could have been a danger that there was too much going on in the book but the author manages very successfully to keep it balanced and juggles the stories throughout to give completely satisfactory conclusions.
I am not sure if this is stand alone or if we will be seeing Rhiannon and Tom in future books, I for one would like that very much.
March 16, 2013
This is a complex web of a story which centres on a North West of England hospital trust. An old mental hospital site is being redeveloped and corpses are turning up in quantity. One of the police on the case, and a young woman working for the Trust in the equipment store become involved with one another. They both have issues and back stories which make the relationship a rather dynamic one! Her mother was once a patient at this hospital. Young women in the town have been going missing over a period of a year or more. Police suspect a serial killer. As you can see, there’s a huge amount going on in this story and it’s well handled so that you aren’t sinking into a morass of loose ends but their stories weave in and out of one another in a very engaging way.
Jamie Sinclair has a gift for creating characters you feel involved with. Love or detest them, there’s a lot going on in their lives and you want to know more. I very much enjoyed reading this story. It was well paced and full of intrigue. I did actually guess the identity of the serial killer before the end but I admit I’d had several other candidates in mind before that one and I enjoyed seeing how and why he had turned out that way. The ending was great too. A five star read if ever there was one.
Jamie Sinclair has a gift for creating characters you feel involved with. Love or detest them, there’s a lot going on in their lives and you want to know more. I very much enjoyed reading this story. It was well paced and full of intrigue. I did actually guess the identity of the serial killer before the end but I admit I’d had several other candidates in mind before that one and I enjoyed seeing how and why he had turned out that way. The ending was great too. A five star read if ever there was one.
November 2, 2018
Whirlwind
Lancaster! Of all places.
This was not what I expected and the three main plot lines were at first implausible.
I'm glad to say I worked out who the serial killer was before the book did 😀
Lancaster! Of all places.
This was not what I expected and the three main plot lines were at first implausible.
I'm glad to say I worked out who the serial killer was before the book did 😀
March 27, 2014
This book had me hooked from the first page, as we delved firstly into the bodies at Moorcastle to the Trust to the murders, and got to know Rhiannon and Tom. I stayed up well into the night each night devouring each page, yet not wanting it to end. Though I correctly guessed who the mysterious serial killer was, it did not dampen the intrigue or thorough enjoyment of this book. But rather I simply enjoyed it!
February 27, 2015
The story had some promise, but the book just plodded along. Too much tell, not enough show; basically no tension. Also, the author seems to not know how to use commas, semicolons, or apostrophes, and if the book was edited at all, then the author was robbed. The poor writing distracted from the story. I don't plan to read anything else by this author.
March 24, 2014
very enjoyable thriller. Nicely drawn characters and a convincing setting. occasionally a little strained plot. all in all a very enjoyable read
April 13, 2014
This is a brilliant read couldn't put it down had me guessing all the way to the end and then on the edge of my seat as it ended. first book I've read by this author but not the last.
April 23, 2014
I enjoyed this as it was based around Lancaster and Morecambe; where I grew up. At times it was rather far fetched and the dialogue occasionally unbelievable. However it was an easy, enjoyable read.
October 22, 2014
I really liked this book. The characters were real and the story line or lines were interwoven to keep me interested. I look forward to reading more of this authors books!
January 8, 2016
A really good story
I found this story to be totally engrossing. It's filled with suspense, action and romance. What a great combination. It was a fun read.
I found this story to be totally engrossing. It's filled with suspense, action and romance. What a great combination. It was a fun read.
June 9, 2016
New author for me but the plot was quite original. Very enjoyable.
March 25, 2014
great story full of so many unexpected twists and turns!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews