Desecration

London Crime #1

by J.F. Penn

Death isn't always the end. LONDON. When the body of a young heiress is found within the Royal College of Surgeons, Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke is assigned to the case. An antique ivory figurine found beside the body is the only lead and she enlists Blake Daniel, a reluctant clairvoyant, to help her discover the message it holds. When personal tragedy strikes, Jamie finds her own life entwining with the morbid fascinations of the anatomists, and she must race against time to stop them claiming another victim. As Jamie and Blake delve into a macabre world of grave robbery, body modification, and the genetic engineering of monsters, they must fight to keep their sanity, and their lives. *** "One of the most original mystery/thrillers that I've read in a long while. Its topic of life and death, soul and body is harrowing and poignant, shocking and profound." David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine Art and author of over 40 novels "A riveting exploration of the dark side of the human heart" New York Times Bestselling Author CJ Lyons "In a book which takes the reader on a journey to hell and back, J.F. Penn demonstrates her huge talent for conveying the depths of human depravity." Amazon #1 Bestseller, Rachel Abbott

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Crime, Fantasy

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2013

About the author

I'm the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, crime, dark fantasy, horror, short stories, and travel memoir.

Reading order: https://jfpennbooks.com/pages/reading...

The fast-paced ARKANE thrillers weave together historical artifacts, global locations, a kick-ass protagonist and a hint of the supernatural. Described by readers as "Dan Brown meets Lara Croft."

The Brooke & Daniel Crime Thriller Series features British detective Jamie Brooke alongside museum researcher Blake Daniel, as they solve dark crimes around London.

The Mapwalker fantasy adventure trilogy is set between Bath, England and the Borderlands in a split world fantasy where Sienna and the Mapwalker team travel through maps to adventure ...

A Thousand Fiendish Angels is a collection of 3 short stories bound together by a book of human skin. Inspired by Dante's Inferno.

You can buy books directly from me https://jfpennbooks.com/

I have a blog and podcast at http://www.BooksAndTravel.page

I'm passionate about writing and I love reading. My favorite authors include James Rollins, Jonathan Maberry, John Connolly, Daniel Silva, and I also read a lot of travel books.

Reviews

[J.F. Penn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My latest book!

“One of the most original mystery/thrillers that I've read in a long while. Its topic of life and death, soul and body is harrowing and poignant, shocking and profound.”
David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine Art and author of over 40 novels

"A riveting exploration of the dark side of the human heart" 
New York Times Bestselling Author CJ Lyons

"In a book which takes the reader on a journey to hell and back, J.F. Penn demonstrates her huge talent for conveying the depths of human depravity." 
Amazon #1 Bestseller, Rachel Abbott

[Simon Jenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke’s investigation into the macabre world of grave robbery, body modification and genetic engineering wasn’t enough to keep her awake at night, when it takes a personal turn, she is not only struggling to expose a gruesome underworld but is also fighting for her life.

Desecration certainly lives up to its name. It is a dark and graphic mystery/thriller that deals with plenty of unique and unusual albeit uncomfortable themes, including corpse art and dissection. Just how depraved humans can be is explored in this action packed and well researched story. The fascinating historical information was dropped in effortlessly. Who knew for example that necrophilia was only made illegal in the UK in 2003?

I was drawn into this book by the prologue, told in the first person, where we meet the antagonist and catch a glimpse of their chilling character. (I actually wish there was more of the book in this style.) We are then introduced to DS Jamie Brooke and follow her journey into the sick world she finds herself investigating. But this is so much more than a police procedural. Jamie is a tortured soul whose young daughter, Polly, is dying. Her story is heart-breaking and there are very moving scenes. When Polly dies, I wondered what would happen to the case as Jamie takes personal leave, but then there was a huge twist in the story. There is never a dull moment as the horrors of the case are combined with Jamie’s personal life and her interesting partnership with Blake – a psychic who can read objects.

As I read the book, I wondered about the truth surrounding the bizarre, grisly acts discussed so the author’s note at the end was enlightening, though unnerving. I was also glad to read that Jamie and Blake will be working together again soon.

So if you’re looking to learn about dark but fascinating topics in an original thriller (this is definitely not a cozy mystery) where you will develop an emotional connection with the main character, this is the book for you!

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend, Amanda, tickled my curiosity with this book when she talked about it. She did warn me that it wasn't pretty. The main detective in this book, Jamie Brooke, is dealing with a quite depressing situation: her daughter is dying... Plus there are a LOT of macabre surrounding the case, as in a whole lot of mutilated bodies, all in the name of science. It challenges my comfort level, for sure.

But the mystery itself is good. Yes, a LOT of times when the author describes the condition of those deformed mutilated bodies, I felt my stomach churned. However, I couldn't stop reading it, really. I was pulled into this dark side of science, as well as being quite invested in Jamie... and later, Blake Daniel, the man who has gift of psychometry.

By the way, although the series is named "London Psychic" but in my opinion, the book is plain good ol' murder mystery and investigation. Yes, Jamie has Blake's help of psychic reading but Blake's scene-time on page is not as many as Jamie. Heck, his name doesn't appear until about 1/3rd part of the book.

I will continue with the next books in this series. The box set that contains the three books: Desecration, Delirium, and Deviance is sold only for $0.99 on Amazon. I figure that is an EXCELLENT deal :)

[Maria Fledgling Author Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Darkness in Hearts

***Trigger Warning***
Graphic violence, sexual abuse content. Be careful if you are recovering from psychological abuse.

Desecration by J. F. Penn goes in a marked different direction from her ARKANE thrillers. Desecration is a step into the darkness that lies behind the layer of civilization in many people.

Lord Christopher and Lady Esther Neville live at the pinnacle of society. Owners of a large, successful pharmaceutical company they work with many of the doctors in London.

Jamie Brooke is a brilliant, beautiful detective sergeant with a painful secret. Her daughter, Polly, is in the end stages of dying from a genetic disease that causes her body to slowly disfigure and her lungs to drown. Jamie lives and works for Polly but tells no one of her struggles.

Overnight, during a Gala Dinner at the Hunterian Museum, sponsored by the Nevilles, their daughter, Jenna, is found murdered, and her body is disfigured. Jaime reports to the Metropolitan Police headquarters and is assigned to investigate the murder.

Among the odd things Jaime finds at the Hunterian Museum are hundreds of specimen jars with an eye with half of it meticulously carved out, and so on. She finds Jenna Neville's body on the floor below a stairway, with a head trauma and her Uterus removed. A strange, carved, ivory figurine mimicking the odd specimens in the museum is found by her body.

The investigation into Jenna Neville's murder goes into bars that cater to people who like torture, into people who have had significant body modifications done, such as a forked tongue, and into physicians who believe in vivisection and eugenics.

The deeper Jaime goes, the more dangerous it gets. She meets a psychic who can have visions by holding objects. She has Brooke hold the ivory figurine and he sees horrific acts.

If you are brave and don't have a gag reflex, read the rest of the book. It truly shows how evil and depraved a part of the human race can be. It was a bit much for me. The story was very well written with a great ending. Just not my cup of tea.

[Stephen Clynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke as she helps solve a murder in London. This is not your average murder but one with a sinister background.

I have not read a book from Joanna for over 5 years now. What a delight it was for me to read another of her books. Once again Joanna mixes her extensive research with her extensive vocabulary to give the reader a very detailed and descriptive story. The plot behind Desecration is very good yet creepy as you wonder what can take place in research laboratories.

I found Desecration to be an excellent thriller, very gritty and quite gory in places. I really liked the emotional depth that was displayed when people have to deal with end-of-life choices and timescales. Joanna’s writing is so powerful that it brought a tear to my eye when I read that the time was right for one character. The words used really grasped the feelings in the same way as when a vet puts an animal down.

There are lighter parts to this story, like an exploration of various forms of body art and modification plus the joys of Tango dancing.

I think Desecration is an OUTSTANDING read that gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

[Mark Tilbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Desecration by J.F. Penn

Jamie is investigating the murder and mutilation of a young woman and trying to come to terms with her young daughter being terminally ill. Both parts of her life get intermingled when she meets Blake, a reluctant psychic who can see details of the murder unknown to the police, and aspects of Jamie she’d rather have kept private.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. All aspects of the plot and the mix of characters worked well. I found out more about Jamie as the story progressed from what she said and did in the present, rather than through the use of back-story.

I had worked out who the killer was quite early on, but that didn't spoil the book for me as it took me on twists and turns as the investigation deepened. The ending brought everything together well and I didn't see how Jamie was going to escape her predicament, but was pleased with how she did so.

Jamie and Blake are great characters that I know are in at least two more books that I am going to read. J.F. Penn writes excellent antagonists in this and her ARKANE series and never has anyone deserved what was coming towards them than the murderer at the end of this book.

A gripping read.

[Harule Stokes · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I have to say, Mrs. Penn is an excellent writer. Her prose fantastic.

The story itself is interesting. A murder mystery that centers around the mutilation of a corpse, but it's not that simple. Said mutilation was clearly done by someone with surgical knowledge and done in a... strangely artistic fashion. This moves the reader into a world of body art taken to the extreme and the creation of art with corpses. Very interesting stuff, but it plays a bad-drop to a not-so-complex murder mystery.

What I didn't enjoy was the long breaks between action scenes where Mrs. Penn goes into long extended breakdowns of the scenes. This slowed the scenes to a crawl, robbing it of it's potency. Also, there are a number of characters but they all "sound" the same. If Mrs. Penn didn't tell you who was speaking, it would be impossible to tell the characters apart at times. It's clear between the daughter, the psychic and Jamie (the protagonist), who's speaking, but all of the other characters feel blank. It's also obvious there was much greater feeling in the scenes those characters are in than scenes without them. I can feel her slide into a writing groove (best moments in the book) with those characters.. but it disappears when those characters aren't there to interact.

So, I'm hoping the next book that features Jamie also features the psychic as well. Not solely because I like these characters, but because she does her best work with these characters. Their interplay, aside from her daughter, did more for the book than any of the other scenes put together.

Mrs. Penn is a wonderful writer and I'd buy the next book featuring Jamie and the psychic.

[Icy Sedgwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've previously read JF Penn's ARKANE series then be aware that these London Psychic books are not more of the same. These books are darker, more twisted, and altogether more satisfying. Detective Jamie Brooke might not be saving the world from the power of religious relics but she's solving murders and still bringing the bad guys to justice. Aided and abetted by clairvoyant Blake Daniel, Jamie really does go through the wringer in this tale of anatomists, vivisection and scientific experiments gone mad. A scene in the middle of the book with Jamie's daughter Polly even made me cry - and the last book to do that was Neil Gaiman's The Kindly Ones.

You were warned!

[Elizabeth Ducie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you are just back from a week's holiday and your desk is calling to you, the last thing you need is an unputtable-down book. But Desecration is just that sort of book. I started it yesterday morning, kept reading throughout a train journey at the end of a long two-days of travel, lay awake into the night reading, and finished it at the breakfast table this morning. It is well-written, full of carefully-researched science, but with a sprinkling of mysticism, and a gripping thriller. Some of the descriptions of human mutilation may be a little difficult for more squeamish readers to take, but they are based on real incidents.

I have read Joanna Penn's marketing books and swear by them; this is the first time I have read any of her fiction. I will certainly be reading a lot more of it in the future.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teratology themed thriller appealed if only for the alliterative aspect of it. But no, seriously, this sounded genuinely intriguing for a random kindle freebie. And to be fair, it was fairly decent as far as random kindle freebies go.
I’ve never heard of the author, but she is quite a prolific one, juggling three series in three different genres, among other things. This is the first in the line of dark psychological thrillers with similar titles, featuring Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke and her psychic sidekick (that’s fun to say) Blake Daniel. It does what it’s supposed to on the dark psychological front, from the brutal prologue to the increasingly terrifying journey Jamie goes onto throughout the book, from grave robbers to secret societies to horrid Nazi style experimentations and even more horrid collections to seriously evil evildoers in proper subterranean lairs no less.
Jamie does most of the heavy lifting, but Blake does provide some assistance and, apparently, is also just great to look at, presumably providing some unrealized romantic potential. Jamie can’t do love, though, she’s too busy being a single mom. She also tangoes and rides a motorbike. It’s almost as if someone wanted to create a seemingly complex and interesting character and checked several boxes to do so.
And that’s essentially the book’s main downdraw. The writing. It’s so underwhelming and trite and bland. It just seemed like someone checking boxes, a very obviously write by numbers effort. It seems most of the author’s effort went into research and plotting, both of which are perfectly decent, and the rest was made to be just good enough for general public. It’s readable, but it’s so very unremarkable. So it’s sort of a weird juxtaposition of plot to narrative.
And sure, I understand, with the amount of books the author seems to be putting out, one can’t expect much quality wise, we’re talking formula at best, grab them with the wildest story and let that distract from the narrative shortcomings, but that approach doesn’t quite work for me. There are simply too many thrillers out there for that. But having that been said, it’s by no means a terrible read if you ignore the failed attempts at wordsmithing excellence, the overdone metaphors and the unmet literary aspirations and just concentrate on the macabre story itself. I know it isn’t a ringing endorsement, but then again I’m a tough critic. You can always check it out for yourself and decide.

[Saravanan Pandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Desecration" is the fast moving and intriguing novel which has correct proportions of whatever needed for the thriller story.

The story revolves around a Detective sergeant Jamie Brooke who is assigned to investigate about the murder of a young heiress,Jenna in a grotesque manner.

Jamie always finds time to spend time with her dying daughter,Polly admitted in hospice despite busy investigating the people who were present at the crime scene and people related to Jenna including Jenna's father Christopher Neville and her mother Esther Neville.

As an unexpected blow Polly dies and so Jamie plans to cremate the body as per her daughter's wish but the very next day,body of Polly goes "missing". Hunch feeling of Jamie relating this body theft to the desecrated murder of Jenna, Jamie races fast to find the body of her daughter and the perpetrators.

Author,Joanna has succeeded in creating requisite impressions on the characters involved in the story by her vivid descriptions. And I would recommend strongly to all mystery/thriller lovers.
I loved reading this novel..!!!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this and really enjoyed it. Interesting characters and a good story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. This will be added to my read again collection, the highest honor I can give a book. I received a free copy from the author and this is an honest review

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 1 out of 5]

Depravity/violence = titillation and porn masquerading as a murder mystery. Not my cup of tea.

[Ashley Person · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the author's non-fiction works and this is the first of her novels I've read. I really liked it. The most surprising thing was that she really didn't shy away from the darker elements. I kept expecting the story to pull back and give a lighter ending, but that didn't happen. In addition she showed that characters had to deal with the consequences of their actions which a lot of authors don't do with fast-paced thrillers. I liked the main characters and definitely plan on finishing the series.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tore through this book over the weekend. Well written and tightly paced this thriller never lets up. I have to admit to staying up late reading this one and with the lights on! There is a bit of gore to go along with the suspense and mystery so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. And yet, it completely fit the story and was not just there as a tease.

Look forward to more books about Jamie and seeing where this series goes.

[Esther]

this is a page turner but I also turned multiple pages at once here and there because it gets very yeuuuuugh. I'm okay with some degree of horror but this was farther than I found tolerable. still, Penn's writing is really lovely, and I got sucked right into the main character's life. if I read more of Penn, I'll look for something less yeuuuuugh if it's out there.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1, in The London Psychic trilogy

Set in London England this mystery/thriller features detective Jamie Brooke and psychic researcher Blake Daniel. In tome 1 Jamie investigates the murder of an heiress whose mutilated body was found at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Morbid to no end, this story has a most original topic of life and death. As the two protagonists delve into the macabre world of grave robbery, body modification and genetic engineering we explore the dark side of human behavior and depravity. The story is harrowing, shocking and very graphic. Although highly fictionalized, the drama deals with unique themes of dissection and teratology. The author not only tried but did capture the feeling of horror and one’s reaction to tortures, body parts and the use of plastinated cadaver for art. It is also evident the author’s obsession with the supernatural and the macabre: flesh dissected on a person laying on a table….creepy. Exploration into vivisection and Mengele’s interests in genetic are also themes well covered. Intensive research was put in the making of this story.

Putting this aside, Ms. Penn has taken great liberties with Jamie as an investigator and her side kick the psychic. Their joint effort was captivating and offered an eerie journey I rarely take. I loved this book simply engrossing and totally fascinating. “Desecration “is richly written, has strong characterization and has a hell of a story to tell.

Although I received a copy from the author “This is the way I see it” and in no way was I influenced by the offer.

[Craig Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the audio book version of this book. Joanna Penn is an excellent writer, but this novel was definitely not for me. It is a very gruesome read, think of watching Bones--but a lot more detail on the nasty parts. Some people will enjoy that, and that's great, but it unsettled my stomach a bit. I'm not the type of reader who can appreciate that type of visual and violence. However, the plot is interesting and everything is tied together well. I believe the mother-daughter relationship was a bit too much--it almost felt forced and while you felt sorry for what the scenario was--it felt you weren't entirely connected with the two of them. The emotion was a bit detached. I think it may have been forced too much and with all the violence it gave the reader a bit of disconnect. The ending was satisfactory and seems like it's a good start to the series, but it's just not for me. If you like detailed description of guts and internal organs, you'll probably enjoy this novel very much. I will warn you on the audio version, the British narrator is a bit annoying to listen to. I've noticed with a few narrators that they start the sentence strong and fast, but she slows down at the end of the sentence. When this is done for every sentence, it was rather irritating for me. I'd rather have the narrator just narrate the novel instead of: STARTING FAST AND LOUD AT THE START and slowing down at the end. Though, that may just be me.

[Rae Else · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desecration (The London Psychic Series) is a kind of supernatural thriller and I thought it would be the most up my street to start with reading.

It’s not just fast-paced, lots of mystery and conflict throughout, but Penn's prose and the summation of her characters is beautiful.

It starts in the Huntarian Museum, in the Royal College of Surgeons. The museum has a collection of specimens on human anatomy. In the very opening chapter a woman is murdered at at the museum, the collection providing a suitably garish and disturbing backdrop. Next we meet Jamie, a detective in the Metropolitan police, who is tasked with solving the woman’s murder, which in its surgical nature seems to be connected to the setting where it was carried out.

We go with Jamie on her journey to find the killer, from the West End where we meet some of London’s wealthiest aristocrats to East London, with artisans and artists. There are more gruesome scenes with plastination as art (where the water and fats in a cadaver are replaced with plastics to create a body that can be preserved and displayed). We also get an insight into the world of extreme body modification. Both subjects provide tension and interest to the developing story and characters, but Penn also delves deeper into these subjects. She asks questions about the body as art, about the right of the dead and about the living’s relationship with them.
So much in this to think about and get lost in.

[Elisabeth Zguta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is action packed, well researched and emotionally charged - as are all of J.F. Penn's novels. I enjoyed the prologue peek into the murderer's mindset. It is a jump start into the tale, a foretelling of the horror just around the corner.

This new story series contains a strong heroin, Jamie Brooke, who has a definitive unique personality. Jamie is a wonderful character, very human, with complex desires. The author did a great job getting into the head of the mother in pain, the dedicated detective, as well as the woman with needs. The other characters also have a great deal of depth to them and are very believable. I especially recognized the intense research the author did in regards to the body art community, handling her writing with respectful observance and acceptance. The novel has many original twists to a detective themed story line.

I totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great adventure, with mysterious people, and anyone who has an open mind to new ideas, and likes a nibble of horror. This is a great read.

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

I honestly don't know whether I enjoyed this book. As previously mentioned I am not at all squeamish, I've read lots of books that were more violent or had more troubling themes, and yt there was something about this one that got under my guard. It kept me listening despite the fact that I didn't care over much for the narrator. (Mostly because unless she was doing character voices, she was quite monotone with little emotional colour, so reading really quite gripping scenes she sounded as if she was about to fall asleep.) I've spent a fair amount of time in morgues and labs, not to mention hospitals. I've seen some very grim stuff IRL (A&E permanent night duty for a few years leaves you with few illusions about humanity in tact), but the cold reptilian way that certain characters in this book act even put ice in my blood. I grew to love Jaime as a character and Blake had my vote from the get go. I'll definitely be reading the next book.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

--Won through Goodreads Giveaway--
Desecration by J.F. Penn is a novel full of grotesque descriptions and encounters of human depravity.
I found this novel to be quite a unique read, as I can not recall ever reading a book like this. I quite enjoyed this novel, although it is not without it's problems.
Personally, I think that if the novel had gone deeper into the emotional states, backgrounds, and motives of the characters, it would have greatly benefited.
There was also an instance towards the end where I felt as if the author had quickly decided to change the ending of the novel. The main character changed her intentions between the last sentence of one chapter and the first sentence of the next.
However, Desecration is quite an enjoyable novel, and I would very much like to read its sequel.

[Janet Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never heard of teratology before reading this book, much less known about museums with preserved dissected portions of humans and animals with deformities. I thought I might have been reading a fantasy until I looked up various terms and museum names and discovered these things existed outside the boundaries of the medical community.
The detailed descriptions in this book show that Penn did a lot of research before writing this book. I could have done with less of this in the early portion of the book, but things settled down in that department once the plot got going and continued to move along nicely with a gutsy lady detective.
The psychic plays a minor role.
The ethical questions raised about the research methods and the use of dead bodies in research will keep you thinking about this book long after you finish reading it.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book of a lawyer and heiress is found within the Royal College of Surgeons. Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke is assigned to investigate and when she discovers a figurine on the body she is directed towards Blake Daniel, a psychic to help her solve the case. How depraved can human behaviour go, read and find out.
Strangely, an interesting read with characters I suspect will grow on me in further books

[Katrina Litwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gruesome detail. Not my cup of tea. The story was good but too much emphasis on body parts and vivisection. Either the author enjoys wallowing in the macabre or she doesn't trust her readers to get it.

[Irene Kyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a really great book! Thank you J.F. Penn for giving me the chance to read it! :)

[Chaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supposed to be a mystery but reads like a horror novel. Not really my thing. Well written though.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, a little graphic, kept my attention. Not overly well written in third person.

[Naman Jaloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book and story. And I'd like to recommend it to other readers. No spoilers.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. First one I’ve read by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more!