DI Spicer

The Commonwealth Games have come to Manchester and the city is buzzing. Caught in the commercial feeding frenzy is Tom Benwell, an advertising executive. But the pressure is getting to Tom - too many deals to make and too many lies to tell. Meanwhile, his friend DI Jon Spicer is on the fast track, showing a love for the job that borders on obsession. Then, in the aftermath of the Games, a string of brutal murders shatters the city's newfound spirit.

'The Butcher of Belle Vue' has struck again. Like the first two victims, the third has been partially skinned and dumped on waste ground. Only this time, her face has also been removed. Jon Spicer and his new partner, Rick Saville, are approached by a woman who insists she heard 'The Butcher' claiming his latest victim in the next-door room of a run-down hotel in Belle Vue. But all she has to back up her story is an Escort’s business card recovered from the empty room the following morning.

The body of a woman with her throat ripped out is found on Saddleworth Moor, near Manchester. She is discovered in an area where sightings of a large black cat have been made. When analysis shows that hairs caught under the victim's nails are those of a panther, it’s assumed the animal has killed its first human prey. Then a man DI Jon Spicer is investigating is murdered in exactly the same way. Only this time the body is found in a secluded car park far closer to the city centre.

Out walking with his family in the local park, Jon Spicer’s life is shattered forever. The dog - aggressive and huge - appears from nowhere. At first, Jon assumes the attack was random. Soon, other events force him to think again. With his family under threat, Jon can do only one thing: fight back. The pursuit leads him to a remote Irish village where his family are originally from...