Indagini pericolose

Ash Henderson #1-2

by Stuart MacBride

Cartoline dall’inferno - Omicidi quasi perfetti - Apparenti suicidi
3 romanzi in 1
Un autore da oltre 2 milioni di copie
Brutali assassini, crimini efferati, feroci torture, sete di vendetta e un nuovo protagonista: il detective Ash Henderson.
In Cartoline dall’inferno facciamo la conoscenza del detective Constable Ash Henderson, alle prese con “il killer dei compleanni”: un feroce assassino che da oltre due lustri rapisce ragazze alla vigilia del loro tredicesimo compleanno, per poi spedire ai familiari cartoline che immortalano le figlie torturate fino alla morte. Nessuno sa che Ash ha un motivo molto, molto personale per desiderare la cattura del killer…
Un altro folle sanguinario è responsabile degli Omicidi quasi perfetti: otto anni fa ha assassinato quattro donne e ne ha ridotte altre tre in fin di vita, lasciandole con una bambola di plastica all’interno del ventre squarciato. Ora però è stato ritrovato un nuovo cadavere e sembra giunto per Henderson il momento tanto atteso per riscattarsi…
Infine, in Apparenti suicidi ci addentriamo per le strade della cittadina di Oldcastle, dove la tranquilla e festosa atmosfera natalizia viene turbata da crimini e cattive azioni di ogni genere. Ed emergono uno a uno, in dodici storie legate da un filo rosso-sangue come in un unico intreccio criminoso, dodici racconti al cardiopalmo permeati da quell’umorismo nero che contraddistingue la penna di MacBride, non a caso uno dei più acclamati scrittori di thriller del mondo.
N°1 in Inghilterra
Un autore da oltre 2 milioni di copie
Tradotto in tutto il mondo
«Stuart MacBride usa la penna alla stregua di un machete. Un concentrato di cattiveria narrativa.»
Il Sole 24 ore
«Un noir alla Tarantino con dosi di humour scozzese. E, nonostante il sangue scorra a fiotti, la scrittura è ammaliante.» 
La Stampa
«Un grandioso esempio di scrittura pennellata col machete, intinta nella crudeltà più torbida e raccapricciante, ma anche profusa di disperata speranza e di virile amarezza. Ritmo forsennato, cadaveri e sangue come pioggia, ottimi comprimari e compagni di viaggio, un vocabolario misterioso che rende più agghiacciante e spaventosa la comprensione. Niente da aggiungere: un grande romanzo di corruzione interiore.»
Piero Soria, La Stampa, Tuttolibri

Stuart MacBride

È lo scrittore scozzese numero 1 nel Regno Unito ed è tradotto in tutto il mondo. La Newton Compton ha pubblicato i thriller Il collezionista di bambini (Premio Barry come miglior romanzo d’esordio), Il cacciatore di ossa, La porta dell’inferno, La casa delle anime morte, Il collezionista di occhi, Sangue nero, La stanza delle torture, Vicino al cadavere e Scomparso, con protagonista Logan McRae. Nel 2013 è uscito Cartoline dall’inferno, con protagonista il detective Ash Henderson, di cui Omicidi quasi perfetti è un ideale seguito, e Apparenti suicidi. Ha ricevuto il prestigioso premio CWA Dagger in the Library e l’ITV Crime Thriller come rivelazione dell’anno.

776 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2015

About the author

Aka Stuart B. MacBride

The life and times of a bearded write-ist.

Stuart MacBride (that's me) was born in Dumbarton -- which is Glasgow as far as I'm concerned -- moving up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, when fashions were questionable. Nothing much happened for years and years and years: learned to play the recorder, then forgot how when they changed from little coloured dots to proper musical notes (why the hell couldn't they have taught us the notes in the first bloody place? I could have been performing my earth-shattering rendition of 'Three Blind Mice' at the Albert Hall by now!); appeared in some bizarre World War Two musical production; did my best to avoid eating haggis and generally ran about the place a lot.

Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.

And so to UNIVERSITY, far too young, naive and stupid to be away from the family home, sharing a subterranean flat in one of the seedier bits of Edinburgh with a mad Irishman, and four other bizarre individuals. The highlight of walking to the art school in the mornings (yes: we were students, but we still did mornings) was trying not to tread in the fresh bloodstains outside our front door, and dodging the undercover CID officers trying to buy drugs. Lovely place.

But university and I did not see eye to eye, so off I went to work offshore. Like many all-male environments, working offshore was the intellectual equivalent of Animal House, only without the clever bits. Swearing, smoking, eating, more swearing, pornography, swearing, drinking endless plastic cups of tea... and did I mention the swearing? But it was more money than I'd seen in my life! There's something about being handed a wadge of cash as you clamber off the minibus from the heliport, having spent the last two weeks offshore and the last two hours in an orange, rubber romper suit / body bag, then blowing most of it in the pubs and clubs of Aberdeen. And being young enough to get away without a hangover.

Then came a spell of working for myself as a graphic designer, which went the way of all flesh and into the heady world of studio management for a nation-wide marketing company. Then some more freelance design work, a handful of voiceovers for local radio and video production companies and a bash at being an actor (with a small 'a'), giving it up when it became clear there was no way I was ever going to be good enough to earn a decent living.

It was about this time I fell into bad company -- a blonde from Fife who conned me into marrying her -- and started producing websites for a friend's fledgling Internet company. From there it was a roller coaster ride (in that it made a lot of people feel decidedly unwell) from web designer to web manager, lead programmer, team lead and other assorted technical bollocks with three different companies, eventually ending up as a project manager for a global IT company.

But there was always the writing (well, that's not true, the writing only started two chapters above this one). I fell victim to that most dreadful of things: peer pressure. Two friends were writing novels and I thought, 'why not? I could do that'.

Took a few years though...

Reviews

[Martin Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a smidge too much but still a great read

Loved the progressive falling apart of Ash and the relationship with Alice.
It just steps over the line of cartoon violence which looses some of the menace but there is just enough to keep reading and enjoying

[Ann Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read

Couldn’t put these books down. Already read the coffin maker’s garden so these helped to make sense of that 1. So well written

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different detective and a return to form

[Con Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books

Great series of books very well written might put off a visit to Scotland with all the rImN and midges

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Stuart MacBride’s Logan McRae series, so it should come as no surprise to know I jumped at his Ash Henderson series with a lot of expectations. Fortunately, the male did not disappoint. Whilst I favour his Aberdonian detective, I certainly had fun with this new character.

Like his Logan McRae series, the Ash Henderson books are filled with everything you would expect from a gritty crime novel. Suspense. Intrigue. Mystery. Wonderful characters. Questionable motives. The darkness of humanity. The only thing missing, for me, is the dark humour you find in his Logan McRae series. Truthfully, I missed it. I spend most of the McRae books giggling, whereas I merely smirked a couple of times in these books. Not that it’s a bad thing – far from it – I simply wanted some of his brilliant humour.

Unlike his Logan McRae series, the Ash Henderson books look at the darker side of a person. In the McRae books we’re given the good cop, in the Ash Henderson books we’re given the bad cop. I loved this. Henderson is such a great character, completely different to McRae. He’s a brilliant character for so many different reasons, and watching him toe the line between good and bad is wonderful. He’s certainly a great character to read.

Whilst I really enjoyed these books, they’re not quite the mind-blowing reads of his Logan McRae series. Still more than worth it, though.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

bravo!

I had already read all of the Logan McRae series and was pining for more- then discovered this little trio from macBride that is sooo satisfying! The violence, the mayhem, and such really great characters! Only one wish - plzz write more !

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Troppo odio e vendetta con un finale di terrore scadente .

[Abba Lillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well then

This story is for the adults. If you're an immature moaner... read some pre school books.
A very good read.