Inspector Akyl Borubaev’s Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan is a lawless post-Soviet metropolis rife with corruption and vice. A hard-hitting thriller for fans of Tom Rob Smith and Gorky Park.
We uncovered the last of the bodies in the red hour before dusk, as the sun stained the snowcaps of the Tian Shan mountains the colour of dried blood and the spring air turned sharp and cold . . .
Inspector AkylBorubaev of Bishkek Murder Squad has been exiled to the far corner of Kyrgyzstan, but death still haunts him at every turn. Borubaev soon finds himself caught up in a mysterious and gruesome new case: several children’s bodies have been found buried together – all tagged with name bands. In his search for the truth behind the brutal killings, Borubaev hits a wall of silence, with no one to turn to outside his sometime lover, the beautiful undercover agent Saltanat Umarova.
When Borubaev himself is framed, accused of involvement in the production of blood-soaked child pornography, it looks as though things couldn’t get any worse. With the investigation at a dangerous standstill, Borubaev sets out to save his own integrity, and to deliver his own savage justice on behalf of the many dead who can’t speak for themselves . . .
We uncovered the last of the bodies in the red hour before dusk, as the sun stained the snowcaps of the Tian Shan mountains the colour of dried blood and the spring air turned sharp and cold . . .
Inspector AkylBorubaev of Bishkek Murder Squad has been exiled to the far corner of Kyrgyzstan, but death still haunts him at every turn. Borubaev soon finds himself caught up in a mysterious and gruesome new case: several children’s bodies have been found buried together – all tagged with name bands. In his search for the truth behind the brutal killings, Borubaev hits a wall of silence, with no one to turn to outside his sometime lover, the beautiful undercover agent Saltanat Umarova.
When Borubaev himself is framed, accused of involvement in the production of blood-soaked child pornography, it looks as though things couldn’t get any worse. With the investigation at a dangerous standstill, Borubaev sets out to save his own integrity, and to deliver his own savage justice on behalf of the many dead who can’t speak for themselves . . .
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Reviews
Storytelling of the highest quality . . . Introduces a detective it is impossible not to believe in. Callaghan is a new voice to be welcomed
Not since Child 44 have I read something that's left such a memorable impression
Even better than Child 44. Akyl Borubaev is a terrific creation
This is a thrilling, intense debut from a powerfully descriptive writer
[Tom Callaghan's] gloomy atmospheric portrait convinces and he writes with style and panache . . . A lively story and a riveting glimpse of an unknown society
A Killing Winter is a brilliant debut, and an early contender for one of my top reads of the year
Unforgettable
His [Tom Callaghan's] descriptions are wonderful - sickeningly so in fact
It's brutal but not cynical; you feel it. It's a hugely impressive debut; atmospheric and stirring
Callaghan is a hell of a writer, with a tremendous sense of pace and an arch ear for juicy dialogue, and the pages fly by.
This is a wonderful book . . . the narrative is savage yet at the same time beautifully crafted . . . A Killing Winter satisfies on so many levels
Ticks all the boxes of plot, setting and character.
The story and writing sustained me right through to the killer twist ending
Fast-paced and enthralling
The denouement is suitably surprising and satisfactory. I got there breathless and tense
Tom Callaghan is a name to watch
Just keeps getting better . . . buy the whole series right away
