Starting as a murder mystery with a certain amount of police procedure running through it, this turns into a deeply traumatic, psychological thriller. The discovery by the narrator and his 11-year old son, Max, of the next door neighbour electrocuted in his bath kicks off the tale. It highlights the huge responsibility of parenthood. That the boy has witnessed such horror disturbs his father more than the boy! But then kids today are used to the blood and gore of their computer games. Max has therapy, the school is informed, he is cared for and watched but the event tears the family apart for different reasons. Past violence and back story come into play. I am afraid you may guess the end by about page 61 but getting there is thrilling. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
A chilling psychological thriller about family - the ties that bind us, and the lies that destroy us. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl. You find your neighbour dead in his bath. Your son is with you. He sees everything. You discover your wife has been in the man's house. It seems she knew him. Now the police need to speak to you. One night turns Alex Mercer's life upside down. He loves his family and he wants to protect them, but there is too much he doesn't know. He doesn't know how the cracks in his and Millicent's marriage have affected their son, Max. Or how Millicent's bracelet came to be under the neighbour's bed. He doesn't know how to be a father to Max when his own world is shattering into pieces. Then the murder investigation begins...
'Ben McPherson has a very distinctive voice, and A LINE OF BLOOD is cleverly put together' Val McDermid
'A tense, touching, smartly written thriller with a very clever twist. McPherson is an impressive new voice' Tim Lott
'A hugely impressive debut, well written and psychologically acute; a devastating depiction of a family tearing itself apart' Paul Johnston
Author
About Ben McPherson
Ben McPherson is a television producer, director, and writer. He studied Modern Languages at King's College, Cambridge, and worked for many years in film and television production. From 1998 to 2007 he was a director and producer for the BBC. In 1998 Ben met the woman he would go on to marry at the Coach and Horses in Soho. Similarities to the characters in his novel, A Line of Blood, end there. Ben speaks fluent Norwegian and lives in Oslo with his wife and son. In 2012 he covered the Breivik trial for TheForeigner.no. He is now a columnist for Aftenposten, Norway's leading quality daily newspaper.
