Talking to the Dead: A Novel

A mesmerizing and thrilling novel—perfect for fans of Tana French and Stieg Larsson—that introduces a modern, unforgettable rookie cop whose past is as fascinating and as deadly as the crimes she investigates. SHE KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE. . . . At first, the murder scene appears sad, but not unusual: a young woman undone by drugs and prostitution, her six-year-old daughter dead alongside her. But then detectives find a strange piece of evidence in the squalid house: the platinum credit card of a very wealthy—and long dead—steel tycoon. What is a heroin-addicted hooker doing with the credit card of a well-known and powerful man who died months ago? This is the question that the most junior member of the investigative team, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths, is assigned to answer.But D.C. Griffiths is no ordinary cop. She’s earned a reputation at police headquarters in Cardiff, Wales, for being odd, for not picking up on social cues, for being a little overintense. And there’s that gap in her past, the two-year hiatus that everyone assumes was a breakdown. But Fiona is a crack investigator, quick and intuitive. She is immediately drawn to the crime scene, and to the tragic face of the six-year-old girl, who she is certain has something to tell her . . . something that will break the case wide open.Ignoring orders and protocol, Fiona begins to explore far beyond the rich man’s credit card and into the secrets of her seaside city. And when she uncovers another dead prostitute, Fiona knows that she’s only begun to scratch the surface of a dark world of crime and murder. But the deeper she digs, the more danger she risks—not just from criminals and killers but from her own past . . . and the abyss that threatens to pull her back at any time.Review"Bingham has gotten inside the mind of his clever, neurotic heroine so well as to make her seem entirely credible... An interesting, unusual and in some ways even moving crime novel." LITERARY REVIEW 20120801 This cleverly plotted police procedural introduces a likeable, maverick detective destined for a bestseller following. CHOICE 20120701 "A cracking, well-executed debut." PETERBROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH 20120616 If you're looking for a punchy narrative based in good old Wales where Newport isn't Newport Rhode Island - for once - and seeking a multi layered protagonist in DC Fiona Griffiths then this is the book for you. I for one can't wait to see what Bingham comes up with next for Griffiths! MILORAMBLES.COM 20120621 "The book is beautifully written. It's a tour de force, and for me the book of the year so far, without question. The plot is plausible without being predictable, and the dialogue is terse and smart as a tack. The book ends with one final, rather sweet, surprise, but as Fi's efforts to unravel the mystery gather pace, the standard elements of the action thriller are handled expertly. Make no mistake - this is much, much more than a crime thriller. Talking to the Dead is first and foremost the tale of a courageous, vulnerable, slightly crazy, but compassionate and intelligent young woman who is trying to succeed in a pedestrian and procedure-dominated organisation." CRIME FICTION LOVER 20120623 "This is on one level an orthodox, if expertly written, police procedural. But the charactar of Fiona lifts it to an altogether different, extraordinary level. She is childlike, brilliant, courageous and utterly loopy all at the same time - as well as devastatingly real and human and alone...She'll haunt you long after you finish this book, and send you scurrying to find what else Bingham has written" -- Stephen Lewis YORK PRESS 20120721 "TALKING TO THE DEAD is an innovative book that tackles the crime novel from a different angle. That is to be applauded and I am sure that Griffiths is certainly a detective that will appeal to many readers of the crime genre. Exceptional." -- Chris Simmons CRIMESQUAD 20120801 About the AuthorHarry Bingham is an author and literary consultant who runs the U.K.’s largest literary consultancy firm, The Writers’ Workshop. He has been longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and shortlisted for the WH Smith Thumping Good Read Award for previous titles available in the U.K. He resides in Oxfordshire, where he is at work on the next novel in the Fiona Griffiths series.