Longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2015
Bristol, 1965. In the dead of winter, a young deaf and dumb woman goes missing without a trace. But the police just don't care about a West Indian immigrant who is nowhere to be found.
Enter Joseph Tremaine 'JT' Ellington: a Barbadian ex-cop not long off the boat, a man with a tragic past and a broken heart. When local mogul Earl Linney hires him to track down the missing girl, JT soon finds himself adrift in a murky world of prostitution and kidnapping where each clue reveals yet more mysteries. What is Linney's connection to the girl? Have more women gone missing? And what exactly is the Erotica Negro Club.
Facing hostility and prejudice as well as the demons he left home to escape, JT must unravel a deadly conspiracy in a dangerous and unfamiliar world.
Heartman is an atmospheric, confident debut: Devil in a Blue Dress meets Chinatown set in the rough world of Bristol nightlife, in the pubs, shebeens and nightclubs that are the haunts of prostitutes and criminals.
What readers have been saying about Heartman:«Excellent read, really compelling, loved the picture you paint of 60s Bristol. Loved it.»
DERMOT O'LEARY
“A compelling read!”
MARTINA COLE
«This is as stylish, fresh and cool as the decade it's set in. JT Ellington is one hell of a character and Heartman is one hell of a book.»
EMLYN REES
«A newcomer bursting with life and originality.»
THE INDEPENDENT
«A good plot with lively dialogue and Ellington an engaging hero.»
THE TIMES
