Burnout

by David Hodges

Chief Inspector Mike Dexter hoped the nightmares were behind him. But when a judge is found burned alive in his home — handcuffed to the bed — Dexter is thrust back into a past he’s tried desperately to forget. The method of murder is horrifyingly familiar, echoing a case that almost destroyed his wife, Tania, two decades earlier.

As Dexter battles a hostile press, an obstructive superior and a storm of public pressure, he begins to suspect the Eddie Challow, the psychopath who raped his wife and murdered her father, has been released from psychiatric care. And now he’s picking up where he left off.

Then a second body is discovered. And Dexter’s worst fears are realised — because this time, the killer is coming for someone even closer to home . . .

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2005

About the author

A former superintendent with Thames Valley Police, with thirty years experience in the force, David Hodges is a prolific crime writer and author of twenty crime novels plus an autobiography on his life in the police service. His debut crime novel received critical media acclaim and a welcome accolade from Inspector Morse’s creator, the late great Colin Dexter, and since then he has become the author of several successful stand-alone thrillers, including BLAST, TARGET and BURNOUT, published by Lume Books (formerly Endeavour Media).

In particular, his Somerset murder series, published by Joffe Books, which is set on the mist-shrouded Somerset Levels in England and features the exploits of feisty detective, Kate, and her easy-going partner, Hayden, has gone from strength to strength. It has attracted keen interest in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia as well as in Britain.

The first six previously published thrillers in the series are also available on Audible for sight challenged readers and those who prefer the spoken word. All David's novels are available on amazon in paperback and Kindle format.

David's latest novel in his Murder On The Levels series, SHADOWS ON THE LEVELS, was published by Joffe books on 1st January 2025, and he has now been invited to talk about his books and his 'life of crime' at the Words In Watchet Literary Festival in Somerset. This will take place at the Methodist Church, Harbour Road, Watchet, from 2.00 - 3.30 pm on Sunday 23rd February 2025 and readers and non-readers will all be very welcome. (https://www.wordsinwatchet.com)

David has two married daughters and four grandchildren and lives in the UK with his wife, Elizabeth, where he continues to indulge his passion for thriller writing and to pursue his keen interest in wild life and the countryside.

He is a member of the Society of Authors, The Crime Writers Association, The Crime Readers Association and International Thriller Writers Inc.

Reviews

[Brian Murgatroyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top read.😛.

An interesting and quite thrilling in parts.It's a good novel to recommend as all the ones by DH I have read,I have read a lot of them,and I have quite a lot in my kindle library to carry on with,seems this novel may have a follow up.😎😎