" A tight tension building thriller that combines crisp prose, sharp dialogue and a throght-provoking finale..."
Indelibly scarred by childhood trauma and neglect, the main character (Karl Connor), attempted to flee from the dark shadows of his young life, the horrors that he had experienced and the inner demons that continued to haunt him.
As the past and present collide the brutal truth is that the long slide into violence has already begun but who could have imagined that his desire for perceived vengeance would have such terrifying results...
Young women are being murdered in London suburbs and there is seemingly nothing to connect them to one another, let alone the killer whose charming manner hides a warped and sick mind. The killer strikes without warning, killing brutally with no remorse. He doesn't even know where or when the next murder will be.
Detective Inspector Ross is determined to hunt the killer down, jeopardising his own police career in the process as he becomes increasingly alienated and obsessed with finding the murderer. He is forced to re-investigate past cases, with results that turn his world upside down. It is a difficult time for him and his depleted team as they find themselves caught up in Karl's deadly game of ruthless vendetta and vengeful murders. Soon their lives begin to run on a parallel which leaves one of his team in mortal danger. Drawn deeper into an accelarating nightmare, which is rapidly becoming more personal, Detective Inspector Ross takes the step that will bring them together in a chilling finale.
Excerpt
Due to the gridlocked traffic Detective Inspector Ross had arrived late at the crime scene. As he pulled up to the kerbside of the tree lined avenue he looked up through the windscreen and watched as a cadaver, on a wheeled stretcher covered in a thin white body bag with black straps, was loaded unceremoniously into the back of the coroner's black van.
The whizzing sound of a police helicopter intensified in the distance, rapidly growing loader, shaking him from his stupor.
Previously deep in thought, he now caught sight of his reflection in the rear view mirror and could see that his face had turned as white as the swollen moon above. He took a moment to compose himself before he swung the driver's door open. He raised his hand in a vague wave to acknowledge the two body movers from the coroner's office as they turned with a darting urgency from the rear of the van. Still encased in their white coveralls, they mirrored his gesture before walking quickly towards the front of their vehicle.
Detective Inspector Ross remained watching as they pulled away from the kerb and set off into traffic. He then glanced over at the house, which was cordoned off by fluorescent crime scene tape that fluttered in the breeze like ribbons from a maypole. An assorted throng of media types and rubbernecks, some of whom were now attempting to take photographs on their mobile phones, had already assembled at the scene and looked on like a pack of baying jackals only just being kept at bay by the increasingly thin blue line.
He blew out a noisy sigh as he continued to look out of the car window at the unfurling scene.
He was less than thrilled to get a call like this on what so far had been his first day off in little over a month, especially as he sensed that his days at the helm of the investigation were numbered and such a public fall from grace would all but finish his previously fast-track career. At that thought his jaw tightened and he felt a slight tickle of electric current go down the back of his neck, bringing the hairs there to attention. A knot of anxious tension gripped his stomach, a subconscious fear of failure.
He willed himself to relax but as his body was stiff and his muscles ached from lack of sleep his mind had no intention of obeying him. He took a deep breath and swept his hand through his steel grey hair so that most of it fell back into place, whilst the wind took the other rogue strands so that they resembled dancing marionettes.
Ross removed his black wool sport coat and threw it onto the passenger seat before undoing his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, a display that was intended to state to onlookers that he was getting ready for business.
After fighting his way through the escalating crowd, which combined the concerned, the curious and the downright ghoulish, he flashed his warrant card before ducking under the police tape to enter the crime scene.
As he reluctantly breathed in the chill of the evening, he stared over at he house. It looked unkempt, the garden untended, neglected even. As he walked towards it, the press continued to bombard him with queries, some pleadingly, others rudely, but he ignored them all. He had already braced himself for the media storm, which now invariably followed every new victim. As he stepped inside the house he could still hear the voices being carried away by the wind, muttering and complaining...
Professional Reviews
Gothic Beauty Magazine
I have just finished 'Dominion' by Wayne Sharrocks and absolutely adored it! It is essentially a dark psychogical thriller but combines the dark Gothic prose of Poppy Z. Brite with the subject matter/pacing of thriller writers like Ruth Rendell & Ian Rankin.
I read his debut novel 'Redemption' last year and though that was a good Gothic/Alternative thriller the latest literary offering was even better.
Definitely worth checking out for the Goth-hearted among you.
Tension...Terror...A great read.
I found this to be a strong well-written thriller that provided psychological insights, fast-pace action and prose that was both sharp and realistic. The characters were well defined and well written and the text emotive.I quickly became absorbed in the story and the pages flew by effortlessly towards a clever ending. Very impressive.
A taut psychological thriller...,
The main protagonist 'Karl Connor' leads us through this amazing well-observed tale. As Karl attempts to escape from the dark shadows of his youth, the terrors that he had experienced and the inner demons continue to haunt him. A chance meeting in a local public house leads Karl into a steamy love affair. Has he at last learned how to love and be loved?
What Karl doesn't know is that the object of his affection is Detective Sandra Ryder. She is hunting a serial killer who seemingly strikes at random. With few clues to follow and time running out, she fears that her fast-track career will end in failure...
As with Sharrocks' debut novel 'Redemption' I found this to be a taut, tension building psychological thriller that pumps the suspense out until the final page. Dominion is filled with great (& more importantly believable) characters that take you through a thrilling roller coaster ride.
Highly recommended!
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Reviews for "Dominion by Wayne Sharrocks"
Reviewed by Judith Wield
6/15/2009
I found this to be engaging and captivating psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The tale focused on the cat 'n' mouse game being played by an emotional scarred serial-killer and the word-weary police detective seeking to catch him.
There were plenty of twists and turns along the way, as well as a very powerful and thought-provoking text. Very impressive.
One for fans of psychological thrillers (think Bret Easton Ellis/Val McDermid with Poppy Z. Brite's Gothic sensibilities).
Gritty, thought-provoking and keenly observed...
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