Don't Look Close
From USA Today bestselling author Jaima Fixsen, comes a gripping crime novel perfect for fans of William Kent Kruger, following one man who would do anything for his sister, even if it means catching a serial killer…
If you look closely, you just may catch a killer.
When Peter Simmons calls his sister Edie from the polio rehabilitation ward, he expects to hear that she’s on her way to get him. Instead, he learns her ex-husband has been murdered – and whispers around town have turned her into a prime suspect.
Determined to set things right, Peter checks himself out of the hospital and heads to Clairbeck, the rugged mining community Edie calls home. He can’t walk or drive unassisted, but armed with his camera and a stubborn streak, he’s intent on proving her innocence.
Clairbeck, however, is far from welcoming. Old grudges between miners and the establishment simmer, and even Edie’s clinic isn’t the safe haven it appears to be. As Peter observes – and then investigates – he starts to wonder… Is someone watching, waiting, and eliminating anyone who steps out of line?
In a town shrouded in secrets, Peter’s eye for truth might be the only thing that stops a killer, unless he draws the killer’s eye first…
The Specimen
Walk carefully, lest you become a part of Dr. Burnett’s collection…
1826. Isobel Tait finds herself, by chance, staring at a tiny human heart floating in a jar. It should be of little consequence; Dr. Burnett is renowned for his collection of oddities and medical specimens, and this, a juvenile heart with a damaged mitral valve, is not the strangest thing on display. Except that the condition is rare, and that Isobel’s young son, who has been missing for months, suffered from the ailment.
A phantom pulse beats in Isobel’s ears. She knows something here isn’t right.
Missing persons cases are all too common in Edinburgh, where people simply vanish like mist. But Burnett is obsessed with his specimens – how far would he go to acquire a new one? Determined to investigate, Isobel joins his staff as the keeper of his collection. What she’ll unearth, though, is far worse than any of her nightmares…
Based on true crimes, The Specimen is a mesmerizing story about one woman’s search for truth and vengeance in the darkest of places—where the deadliest secrets lie hidden in plain sight, on a freshly dusted shelf.
Images from The Specimen
This book is one of my favorites so far. The story is so close to my heart (analogy aside) and I feel such a connection to the characters and the world they inhabit. Writing The Specimen was an incredible experience—visiting Edinburgh, touring museums, poring over books, histories, maps, paintings and photographs. When I encountered plot problems, the characters always helped me write a way out. I’m not sure exactly how to convey the experience, but this short slide show captures some of the moments along the way.
