Dark Whispers
Crime Thriller
The dog was standing by the tree, four paws firmly planted, his hackles up. His owner, who had run after him through the woods, stopped in shock. In front of them, hanging from the ancient yew tree, was a body. Blood dripped down the victim’s pale skin, where strange symbols had been crudely carved. The eyes stared straight ahead. Empty. Unseeing.
Dr Harrison Lane, Head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime unit, is called away from a romantic getaway with his girlfriend by an unsettling report. A young man has been found murdered in a centuries-old woodland – and the strange symbols found on his body point to the involvement of long-forgotten dark rituals.
Using his knowledge of ancient pagan spirituality, Harrison begins to draw a connection between the runes on the man’s body and the unusual crime scene, which includes a circle drawn in the wet leaves of the forest floor and the haunting clink-clink of windchimes suspended nearby. How did the victim end up alone with his killer in the forest, and who would want him dead by such brutal means?
Just as Harrison is about to make a breakthrough in this challenging case, details from his own past, related to his mother’s tragic death – begin to emerge. Can Harrison keep his head in the game and find this dangerous predator, or will the secrets he’s so carefully locked away finally surface?
With an evil killer on the loose, and more innocent lives caught in the balance, every moment counts…
Quick facts
- Series: Dr Harrison Lane mystery, Book 8
- Genre: British crime thriller/Police procedural
- Publisher: Storm Publishing
- Main character: Dr Harrison Lane, head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime Unit
- Setting: Surrey and West Sussex.
- Themes/tropes: Ritualistic/occult-linked clues; folklore, superstitions, runes, Pagan religion, Yew trees, Tree of life, National Crime Agency, profiler/psychologist lead; hidden past, secrets,
- Trigger warnings: Murder
- Formats: eBook, Paperback and Audiobook
- paperback ISBN-13: 978-1805080299
- ebook ISBN-13: 978-1805080282
“Having read all the previous 7 books in this very gripping series I could not wait to read the next edition and to say I wasn't disappointed is an understatement, I read it in 48 hours 🙂 A real page-turner! Harrison Lane is as unique in character as the storylines from this brilliant author.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reader review
Next in the series...
The tangy smell of smoke hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the early morning mist. As it lifts, a shape emerges in the centre of the tranquil meadow. A scarecrow? No… rising from the ashes of a dying fire, stands a blackened wooden cross – and tied to it, the dark outline of a body.
In the shadows of friendship, some secrets are too dangerous to keep. Thirty years of silence has finally come to an end.


