‘He said he didn’t remember killing them…’
As a series of rolling blackouts plunge the city into darkness, Detective Aidan Waits sits on an abandoned hospital ward, watching a mass murderer slowly die. Transferred from his usual night shift duties and onto protective custody, he has just one job…
To extract the location of Martin Wick’s final victim before the notorious mass murderer passes away.
Wick has spent over a decade in prison, in near-total silence, having confessed to an unspeakable crime that shocked the nation and earned him the nickname of TheSleepwalker.
But when a daring premeditated attack leaves one police officer dead and another one fighting for his life, Wick’s whispered last words will send Waits on a journey into the heart of darkness…
Manipulated by a reticent psychopath from his past, and under investigation from his new partner, Detective Constable Naomi Black, Waits realises too late that a remorseless contract killer is at work.
Can Aidan Waits solve his last case before fleeing justice?
Or will his name be next on the hit list..
There really are very very few series out there at the moment that engage me and steal my time quite as much as Joseph Knox and the Aidan Waits novels- dark noir with a deep ironic humour running through the heart of them and a main protagonist who is the very definition of anti-hero.
The Sleepwalker is the third in the series following the brilliant Sirens and the confirmational The Smiling Man – both of which I adored with a fiery vengeance and highly recommended, both of which made my top ten in their years. I don’t doubt that The Sleepwalker will find it’s position in this year’s list, Joseph Knox writes with a depth of perception that appeals to my inner dark half and I devoured this in short order.
There’s a distinct and intelligent character arc in The Sleepwalker that moves us forward with the ongoing drama, equally we have another crime story here that is extraordinarily compelling. Stalking the Manchester streets and the hidden underneath of things, Aidan once again battles his own demons as well as those of others, leading us on a twisted, often heart stopping, always authentic journey towards some kind of truth.
Surrounded by equally intriguing and extremely divisive characters, neither the good guy nor the bad, each new story Aidan occupies brings new levels of storytelling to the mix, viewing the world through a glass darkly with a heady mix of crime fiction, character driven drama and psychological insight.
Utterly riveting I live these tales rather than simply read them and the finale of this particular instalment kept me awake for many night’s after I’d finished it. Classically good writing, genuine talent, we need more like this…
I’m a fan. You know what I’m going to say….
Highly Recommended.
You can purchase The Sleepwalker (Doubleday) Here.
Happy Reading!
