Dark objects : a novel / Simon Toyne.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Forensics expert Laughton Rees hunts an unusually clever killer who appears to be staging murder scenes just for her in this twisty new psychological thriller by the bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy.

How do you catch a killer if the victim doesn't exist?

A glamorous woman is murdered in her ultra-luxurious London mansion and her husband goes missing. But according to public records, neither of them exists.

The only leads police have are several objects arranged around the woman's body, including a set of keys and a book called How to Process a Murder by Laughton Rees--a book that appears to have helped the killer forensically cleanse the crime scene.

Laughton Rees is an academic who doesn't usually work live cases after the brutal murder of her mother as a teen left her traumatized and emotionally scarred. But the presence of her book at this scene draws her unwillingly into the high-profile investigation and media circus that springs up around it. As the dark objects found beside the body lead her closer to the victim's identity, a dangerous threat to Laughton and her daughter emerges, as well as painful memories of her past related to the man she has always blamed for her mother's death: John Rees, Laughton's father, the current Metropolitan Chief Commissioner and a man she has not spoken to in twenty years.

Laughton's family was destroyed once and she built herself a new one. Now, she has to face her darkest fears and help catch a killer before this one is destroyed too.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

British author Toyne, who has produced some offbeat thrillers (the Sanctus trilogy), may have found his true calling with this excellent police procedural. Det. Chief Insp. Tannahill Khan of the North London Murder Squad investigates when a wealthy woman is stabbed to death in her home and her husband can't be found. The body is staged with several mysterious objects placed around it, including the book How to Process a Murder by Laughton Rees. That Laughton is the daughter of Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Rees immediately adds an unwanted complication to Tannahill's inquiry. As it becomes evident that the killer's actions are directed in part toward Laughton, Tannahill brings her into the case as a consultant, not only to provide fresh insight but also to protect her from a deranged murderer who may be connected to her own painful past. Tannahill and Laughton make a superb investigative team, and how Tannahill deals with the prejudice he encounters ("When I was growing up I was called all sorts--Paki, camel jockey, raghead. My dad was Pakistani, you see, Irish mum but I got his skin and hair") helps illuminate his character. A skilled storyteller, Toyne has upped his game with this one. Agent: Alice Saunders, Soho Agency. (July)