Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 15 January 2009.

This is a big book by an author with a big future.  He is one of my favourites and has now become one of the nation’s favourites too since his A Quiet Belief in Angels was a Richard and Judy pick.  This begins as a police procedural tale about a serial killer in Washington during the mid-term elections, but as with all of Ellory’s books it develops into something much more complicated as he explores corrupt America.  A must read.

Comparison: Dennis Lehane, Stieg Larsson, Tom Rob Smith.

Synopsis

Washington, embroiled in the mid-term elections, did not want to hear about serial killings. But when the newspapers reported a fourth murder, when they gave the killer a name and details of his horrendous crimes, there were few people that could ignore it. Detective Robert Miller is assigned to the case.

He and his partner begin the task of correlating and cross-referencing the details of each crime scene. Rapidly things begin to complicate. The victims do not officially exist.

Their personal details do not register on any known systems. The harder Miller works, the less it makes sense. And as Miller unearths ever more disturbing facts, he starts to face truths so far-removed from his own reality that he begins to fear for his life.

This is a novel about trust, loyalty, and beliefs that are so ingrained which, when challenged, they leave people with nothing. Vast in scope, A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE is an expose of the brutality of covert operations, the power of greed and the insidious nature of corruption. It is also a story of love and trust that shomehow managed to survive the very worst that the world could throw at it.

About the Author

R.J. Ellory originally studied graphics and photography, he intended to pursue a career in photojournalism, but for many reasons - all of them well within his control - this never came to fruition. He started writing more than ten years ago and hasn't stopped since. His novels have been translated into Italian, German and Dutch, and his novel Candlemoth  was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller in 2003. He has also written books under the name Roger Jon Ellory, which can be viewed by clicking here.   He divides his time between his work as a novelist and voluntary programmes in the areas of drug rehabilitaion and youth literacy. He is married with one son, and currently resides in England.   In 2011 R. J. Ellory was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library, awarded to an author for a body of work.   Author photo © Adam Scourfield More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation