The First Cut

A serial killer stalks women in northern England in this psychological thriller by the New York Times-bestselling author of the Inspector Banks series.
On a balmy June night, Kirsten, a young university student, is strolling home through a silent moonlit park when she is viciously attacked.
When she awakens in the hospital, she has no recollection of that brutal night. But then slowly, painfully, details reveal themselves-dreams of two figures, one white and one black, hovering over her; snatches of a strange and haunting song; the unfamiliar texture of a rough and deadly hand...
In another part of the country, Martha Browne arrives in a Yorkshire seaside town, posing as an author doing research for a book. But her research is of a particularly macabre variety. Who is she hunting with such deadly determination? And why?
Published in the UK as Caedmon's Song
Praise for The First Cut
"An exceptionally well-crafted psychological thriller." - Toronto Globe and Mail
"This atmospheric tale of suspense will keep readers wondering what's really going on.... Highly recommended." - Library Journal (starred review)
"[An] intricately constructed, stand-alone novel of suspense and revenge.... [A] knuckle-biting end." - Publishers Weekly
"A brutally efficient page-turner that shows a welcome new side to Banks's accomplished creator." - Kirkus Reviews