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DI Jon Spicer #6
Cut Adrift
DI Jon Spicer’s investigation into the vicious slaying of a Russian asylum-seeker grinds to a halt when the man’s identity turns out to be false. It seems the only truth to his story was the fact he was found drifting off the British coast in a small boat.
Before the man’s true identity can be discovered, more asylum-seekers start to die – each murdered in the same horrific way. By the time Spicer realises what links the men, he knows there’s a trained assassin at large who’s desperate to guard a secret of enormous magnitude. And when he ignores MI5’s warnings to back-off, he also becomes the target of a man whose sole purpose is to kill.
And all the while, a series of heartbreaking and enigmatic messages are being found drifting in from the sea – slowly revealing the appalling plight of a group of refugees trapped on a raft.
Before the man’s true identity can be discovered, more asylum-seekers start to die – each murdered in the same horrific way. By the time Spicer realises what links the men, he knows there’s a trained assassin at large who’s desperate to guard a secret of enormous magnitude. And when he ignores MI5’s warnings to back-off, he also becomes the target of a man whose sole purpose is to kill.
And all the while, a series of heartbreaking and enigmatic messages are being found drifting in from the sea – slowly revealing the appalling plight of a group of refugees trapped on a raft.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2010
38 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Chris Simms
64 books81 followersI was born and brought up in rural Sussex, three miles from the nearest shop. Childhood holidays – which lasted for weeks as my dad was a teacher – were spent in a secluded spot in the heart of Exmoor. Sitting round the campfire at night, the haunting cries of owls floating in from the blackness beyond the flames, he would read me the ghost stories of MR James. The short walk to the safety of my tent was always taken at a sprint.
Books that interested me growing up? Plenty of mysteries – especially the Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators series. I also loved Roahl Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected and read plenty of Pan Horror Stories, too.
Later, it was novels that gave insights into unusual minds: the twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles’, The Collector; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene’s, Heart of the Matter; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe’s, Butcher Boy all had a major influence.
After school and university came a series of abysmal jobs punctuated by travelling. Quite a lot of travelling, actually. Then, just after my 30th birthday, the idea for my first novel came to me. I was broken down on the hard shoulder of a motorway in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a rescue vehicle to arrive. It’s about the driver of a van who roams the roads in the dead of night, looking for stranded motorists to murder…
Ideas for subsequent novels have occurred at all sorts of odd moments: glimpsing a derelict church from the window of a moving train; browsing a newspaper report about a walker who claimed he’d been attacked by a panther; half-reading a doctor’s surgery article on how some tinnitus sufferers don’t hear whistles or buzzes – they’re tormented by birdsong; listening to a radio program about a flotilla of yellow ducks that fell from a cargo ship and floated slowly across the Atlantic.
Books that interested me growing up? Plenty of mysteries – especially the Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators series. I also loved Roahl Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected and read plenty of Pan Horror Stories, too.
Later, it was novels that gave insights into unusual minds: the twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles’, The Collector; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene’s, Heart of the Matter; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe’s, Butcher Boy all had a major influence.
After school and university came a series of abysmal jobs punctuated by travelling. Quite a lot of travelling, actually. Then, just after my 30th birthday, the idea for my first novel came to me. I was broken down on the hard shoulder of a motorway in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a rescue vehicle to arrive. It’s about the driver of a van who roams the roads in the dead of night, looking for stranded motorists to murder…
Ideas for subsequent novels have occurred at all sorts of odd moments: glimpsing a derelict church from the window of a moving train; browsing a newspaper report about a walker who claimed he’d been attacked by a panther; half-reading a doctor’s surgery article on how some tinnitus sufferers don’t hear whistles or buzzes – they’re tormented by birdsong; listening to a radio program about a flotilla of yellow ducks that fell from a cargo ship and floated slowly across the Atlantic.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 27, 2017
Quite a sad story of refugees who have been set adrift on a raft. Series of letters are received all along the coast of the UK housed in little rubber duckies written by one of the refugees, obviously. It tells of their plight and running out of food and water and people dying.
The newspapers get wind of these letters and it becomes apparent that they are numbered, so the story emerges. Some people, of course, think that they are false and someone is duping the country.
This is only a very small part of this story (but the part that stuck out in my mind). It is also the story of dead Russians and mistaken identity and much more.
The newspapers get wind of these letters and it becomes apparent that they are numbered, so the story emerges. Some people, of course, think that they are false and someone is duping the country.
This is only a very small part of this story (but the part that stuck out in my mind). It is also the story of dead Russians and mistaken identity and much more.
February 24, 2025
UK setting. Ship goes overboard but there is a raft where fugitives try to survive. A bunch of rubber ducks are released and this lady from Iran that fled puts notes in them in English. Meanwhile the DI on this is going through a separation with his wife that now has a new bf which is a psychologist. He is a dick. DI Spicer is trying to get. her back but becomes a bit of a stalker. It is about something in history when they stole tons of money when they were shipping some machine back to the US saying it is broken. Money was on that load and it goes into the ocean. KGB and CIA people are not good ppl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2021
Exceptionally good
I have read and enjoyed all this series but this particular book is outstanding in my opinion. It helps to read the series from the start through to understand the background of the characters. I so cringe at times at the behavior of the main character DO Spicer, but his flawed personality makes the storyline more real and interesting. I'll be the way the author also links the story lines to real life events. Thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating from start to finish.
I have read and enjoyed all this series but this particular book is outstanding in my opinion. It helps to read the series from the start through to understand the background of the characters. I so cringe at times at the behavior of the main character DO Spicer, but his flawed personality makes the storyline more real and interesting. I'll be the way the author also links the story lines to real life events. Thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating from start to finish.
October 27, 2020
Great detective book
December 18, 2020
Real page turner, from start to finish
Another great book by Chris Simms in the DI Spider series, can't wait to start the next one which I'm sure will be equally as enjoyable.
Another great book by Chris Simms in the DI Spider series, can't wait to start the next one which I'm sure will be equally as enjoyable.
November 19, 2021
Gripping read
I've read a few books by this author,all have been good but this one was deeper, with strong characters and intriguing p!ot. Give it a go!
I've read a few books by this author,all have been good but this one was deeper, with strong characters and intriguing p!ot. Give it a go!
January 21, 2015
This was a great book! It was a must read in the series after reading its predecessor but could easily be a stand-alone read. The premise of messages from a lost soul at sea was captivating and the human face of the asylum plight within the floating letters was well developed. As with the whole of the DI Jon Spicer series, the characters were multi-faceted, certainly not without their faults and as such believable. A book I'd recommend to anyone interested in crime suspense, issues currently in the global spotlight or human relationships.
January 3, 2016
I started reading this in the library in the interests of 'research'. Ran out of time but really wanted to know what happened so had to buy the book and thoroughly enjoyed it as a well-written, engaging drama, intricate plot, plenty tension and human relationships.
I'll seek out more by Chris Simms
I'll seek out more by Chris Simms
August 4, 2016
A very moving story that focuses on the plight of refugees & the state of affairs in Iraq. Murders in Manchester are linked to the story of people swept overboard from a ship. The letters written by one of these people are what make the book so fascinating.
December 16, 2015
My favorite!
This was the most compelling of all the DI Spicer books I've read so far. He has a way of developing the characters so you see the entire picture of their lives. This is my favorite because he has taken truth about our history and combined it with fiction.
This was the most compelling of all the DI Spicer books I've read so far. He has a way of developing the characters so you see the entire picture of their lives. This is my favorite because he has taken truth about our history and combined it with fiction.
December 16, 2013
Tight atmospheric writing about one of the biggest crimes of recent years - the invasion and sacking of Iran.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews