Chris Petit Livres

'One of Britain's most visionary writers' David Peace

From the bestselling author of The Psalm Killer and The Butchers of Berlin 'One of Britain's most visionary writers' David Peace A breath-taking contemporary thriller for readers of Robert Harris, John le Carré​ and Martin Cruz Smith When a government minister is shot there are many suspects but few leads. Days before the attempted assassination, Charlotte Waites, a Home Office analyst, dismissed a crucial intel flag and now has to account for her actions. Dragged into a web of intrigue that will draw in everybody from the prime minister to her ailing father, she must try to get the bottom of the mystery while confronting dark secrets from her family's past. Complex, gripping and deftly-handled, Ghost Country is work of staggering imagination that, from Northern Ireland to Covid, looks at the complexities of Britain's recent history and distils them into an unforgettable literary thriller.

Belfast-based police officer Cross, in Dublin for a conference, turns down a lift to the train station; a young cop insists on walking with him. "Cross enjoyed the walk in the pale sunlight with its hint of spring, though he would have preferred it alone, to savour the rare occasion of being able to feel entirely safe. In Belfast part of him was always alert to the possibility of sudden danger, the peripheral moment of warning, the car drawing alongside or the hot blast of air that preceded the explosion ..." When a thriller so quickly and so eloquently sums up the difference between life in Northern and Southern Ireland, you know you're on to something special, and Petit doesn't disappoint. Cross--English and Catholic--has come to head the murder squad in Belfast because his wife wants to be near her parents. He finds that some of the crimes he's investigating are linked to more than just the sectarian violence of the day--and to a truly devilish killer called Candlestick who you'll remember long after the last page.

Berlin 1943. August Schlegel lives in a world full of questions with no easy answers. Why is he being called out on a homicide case when he works in financial crimes? Why did the old Jewish soldier with an Iron Cross shoot the block warden in the eye then put a bullet through his own head? Why does Schlegel persist with the case when no one cares because the Jews are all being shipped out anyway? And why should Eiko Morgen, wearing the dreaded black uniform of the SS, turn up and say he has been assigned to work with him? Corpses, dressed with fake money, bodies flayed beyond recognition: are these routine murders committed out of rage or is someone trying to tell them something...

During the war, Joe Hoover worked for the American intelligence service. Karl-Heinz Strasse worked for the SS. The two should never have met, but they became the closest of associates, communicating in the supposedly neutral cities of Zurich, Istanbul and Budapest. In 1945, all the secrets were buried. But sixty years later, a man they thought was dead seems to have resurfaced. Willi Schmidt played both sides, dealing in intelligence, in black-market goods, in pharmaceuticals. When Hoover returns to Europe to try and track him down, he discovers that operations he thought had ended long ago are still being played out. At each step into his past, he is haunted by the shadow of Willi Schmidt and the spectre of WWII's most grotesque and enduring legacy - a trade in people. Chris Petit's masterly new novel turns the world inside out and traces its veins. THE HUMAN POOL interweaves fact and fiction to spellbinding effect, unpicking history and redefining our understanding of the way war and business merge.

'One of Britain's most visionary writers' David Peace

Berlin 1943. August Schlegel lives in a world full of questions with no easy answers. Why is he being called out on a homicide case when he works in financial crimes? Why did the old Jewish soldier with an Iron Cross shoot the block warden in the eye then put a bullet through his own head? Why does Schlegel persist with the case when no one cares because the Jews are all being shipped out anyway? And why should Eiko Morgen, wearing the dreaded black uniform of the SS, turn up and say he has been assigned to work with him? Corpses, dressed with fake money, bodies flayed beyond recognition: are these routine murders committed out of rage or is someone trying to tell them something ...

This epic novel showcases the unique storytelling style of its author, known for cult films and previous works like The Psalm Killer and Robinson. It promises a compelling narrative filled with intricate characters and thought-provoking themes, drawing readers into a rich and immersive world. The author's distinctive voice and cinematic approach to storytelling are expected to captivate both fans and newcomers alike.

„Psalmen des Todes“ ist mehr als ein Thriller; es bietet einen literarischen Hochgenuss mit apokalyptischen Schilderungen Nordirlands, die eine unvergessliche Atmosphäre schaffen.