The Coldest Blood

PENGUIN BOOKS

THE COLDEST BLOOD

Praise for Jim Kelly

‘Kelly is fast gaining a reputation for his literate,

atmospheric novels’ Daily Mail

‘A significant new talent’ Sunday Times

‘A rare combination of poetic writing and a gripping plot’

Sunday Telegraph

‘The sense of place is terrific: the fens really brood.

Dryden, the central character, is satisfyingly complicated…

a good, atmospheric read’ Observer

‘A masterful stylist, Kelly crafts sharp, crisp sentences so

pure, so true, they qualify as modern poetry’ Publishing News

‘A sparkling star newly risen in the crime fiction

firmament’ Colin Dexter

‘Superb… Kelly has produced another story rich in plot

and character, with a bit of history as well’ Publishers Weekly

‘Kelly is clearly a name to watch… a compelling read’

Crime Time

‘Beautifully written… The climax is chilling. Sometimes a

book takes up residence inside my head and just won’t

leave. The Water Clock did just that’ Val McDermid

‘An atmospheric, intriguing mystery with a tense

denouement’ Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph

‘Excellent no-frills thriller with a real bite. 4 stars’ FHM

‘A story that continuously quickens the pulse… makes

every nerve tingle. The suspense here is tight and controlled

and each character is made to count in a story that engulfs

you while it unravels’ Punch

‘Kelly’s evocation of the bleak and watery landscapes,

provide a powerful backdrop to a wonderful cast of

characters’ The Good Book Guide

‘A thriller debut of genuine distinction. Kelly is a name to

watch and this is a compelling read’ Crime Time

‘The Water Clock’s praise is well deserved… highly

recommended’ Washington Post

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Kelly is a journalist. He lives in Ely with the biographer Midge Gillies and their young daughter. The Coldest Blood is his fourth novel, following The Water Clock, The Fire Baby and The Moon Tunnel. His new novel, The Skeleton Man, is now available in hardback from Michael Joseph.

He has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the CWA John Creasey Dagger for The Water Clock, and Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for The Fire Baby. In 2006 Jim Kelly was awarded the Dagger in the Library by the Crime Writers’ Association for a body of work ‘giving greatest enjoyment to crime fiction readers’.

To find out more about Jim Kelly and other Penguin crime writers, go to www.penguinmostwanted.co.uk

The Coldest Blood

JIM KELLY

PENGUIN BOOKS

PENGUIN BOOKS

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First published by Michael Joseph 2006

Published in Penguin Books 2007

1

Copyright © Jim Kelly, 2006

All rights reserved

The moral right of the author has been asserted

EISBN: 978–0–141–01864–5

For Peggy and Brian, who are together

Acknowledgements

This is a work of fiction but several experts have been generous with their time to ensure that technical details are as accurate as possible. I am particularly indebted to Dr Alan Whitmore, of the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital; Neil O’May, head of the criminal law department of Bindman & Partners; and the Forensic Science Service, for guidance on issues pertaining to blood. Thanks also to members of the Fen Skating Committee, who were welcoming and gave freely of their memories. Let’s hope that, despite climate change, their sport thrives for at least one more generation. All information on the national electricity grid and the network of pylons which are its backbone came from the internet – beginning with the indispensable Pylon of the Month website. Would-be pyloneers should start here. The National Farmers Union in East Anglia was helpful in explaining the use of commercial kites to replace more traditional bird-scaring devices.