PENGUIN BOOKS
THE COLDEST BLOOD
Praise for Jim Kelly
‘Kelly is fast gaining a reputation for his literate,
atmospheric novels’ Daily Mail
‘A significant new talent’ Sunday Times
‘A rare combination of poetic writing and a gripping plot’
Sunday Telegraph
‘The sense of place is terrific: the fens really brood.
Dryden, the central character, is satisfyingly complicated…
a good, atmospheric read’ Observer
‘A masterful stylist, Kelly crafts sharp, crisp sentences so
pure, so true, they qualify as modern poetry’ Publishing News
‘A sparkling star newly risen in the crime fiction
firmament’ Colin Dexter
‘Superb… Kelly has produced another story rich in plot
and character, with a bit of history as well’ Publishers Weekly
‘Kelly is clearly a name to watch… a compelling read’
Crime Time
‘Beautifully written… The climax is chilling. Sometimes a
book takes up residence inside my head and just won’t
leave. The Water Clock did just that’ Val McDermid
‘An atmospheric, intriguing mystery with a tense
denouement’ Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph
‘Excellent no-frills thriller with a real bite. 4 stars’ FHM
‘A story that continuously quickens the pulse… makes
every nerve tingle. The suspense here is tight and controlled
and each character is made to count in a story that engulfs
you while it unravels’ Punch
‘Kelly’s evocation of the bleak and watery landscapes,
provide a powerful backdrop to a wonderful cast of
characters’ The Good Book Guide
‘A thriller debut of genuine distinction. Kelly is a name to
watch and this is a compelling read’ Crime Time
‘The Water Clock’s praise is well deserved… highly
recommended’ Washington Post
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Kelly is a journalist. He lives in Ely with the biographer Midge Gillies and their young daughter. The Coldest Blood is his fourth novel, following The Water Clock, The Fire Baby and The Moon Tunnel. His new novel, The Skeleton Man, is now available in hardback from Michael Joseph.
He has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the CWA John Creasey Dagger for The Water Clock, and Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for The Fire Baby. In 2006 Jim Kelly was awarded the Dagger in the Library by the Crime Writers’ Association for a body of work ‘giving greatest enjoyment to crime fiction readers’.
To find out more about Jim Kelly and other Penguin crime writers, go to www.penguinmostwanted.co.uk
The Coldest Blood
JIM KELLY
PENGUIN BOOKS
PENGUIN BOOKS
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First published by Michael Joseph 2006
Published in Penguin Books 2007
1
Copyright © Jim Kelly, 2006
All rights reserved
The moral right of the author has been asserted
EISBN: 978–0–141–01864–5
For Peggy and Brian, who are together
Acknowledgements
This is a work of fiction but several experts have been generous with their time to ensure that technical details are as accurate as possible. I am particularly indebted to Dr Alan Whitmore, of the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital; Neil O’May, head of the criminal law department of Bindman & Partners; and the Forensic Science Service, for guidance on issues pertaining to blood. Thanks also to members of the Fen Skating Committee, who were welcoming and gave freely of their memories. Let’s hope that, despite climate change, their sport thrives for at least one more generation. All information on the national electricity grid and the network of pylons which are its backbone came from the internet – beginning with the indispensable Pylon of the Month website. Would-be pyloneers should start here. The National Farmers Union in East Anglia was helpful in explaining the use of commercial kites to replace more traditional bird-scaring devices.
So much for specific areas of expertise. Others have given constant help and encouragement. My wife, Midge Gillies, has provided a wide-ranging consultancy throughout the writing of The Coldest Blood; from plot, through character, to setting she has made an indispensable contribution. Beverley Cousins, my editor, has continued to keep me on course with her combination of experience and skill. Faith Evans, my agent, is an ever-present guide to good writing.
Trevor Horwood, my copy-editor again, combined meticulous attention to detail with a watchful eye on continuity. Other friends have provided help selflessly: Jenny Burgoyne read the manuscript with forensic intensity and Bridie Pritchard brought an overview to the final draft; Martin Peters set me on the right road from the start with some commonsense advice about the properties of blood. My brother Bob Kelly provided a vivid insight into the realities of an ice storm.
And finally, the landscape – the English Fens and the cathedral city of Ely. As in Philip Dryden’s earlier adventures, The Coldest Blood combines entirely fictitious characters and plot with locations blending real and imagined geography. This has allowed me once again to be creative with place names, institutions and traditions in order to enrich the story and facilitate the plot, a liberty I hope will not infuriate my loyal, local readers too greatly.
The Dolphin Holiday Camp, Sea’s End
Thursday, 29 August 1974