Gift Before Dying

£12.99

Gift Before Dying

A haunting and gripping crime novel set in the unforgiving Arctic Circle - 'Hypnotically good' (Lee Child)

Crime and mystery fiction Thriller / suspense fiction

Author: Malcolm Kempt

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Language: English

Published by: Baskerville

Published on: 22nd January 2026

Format: LCP-protected ePub

ISBN: 9781399829762


What Critics Are Saying

'Hypnotically good' Lee Child

'A stunning debut' Daily Mail

'A life-affirming read' Daily Express

'A gritty debut thriller' Irish Independent

'One of the finest debuts of the year' Donald Ray Pollock

'Rich in atmosphere and relentlessly suspenseful' Michael Koryta

About the Book

At the edge of the world, can justice still be found? After a botched high-profile murder investigation, Sergeant Elderick Cole is exiled to the remote, rugged landscape of Nunavut, a vast territory in the Arctic Circle known for its untamed beauty, frigid temperatures, and endless winter nights.

His bleak existence takes a sinister turn when he discovers the hanging body of Pitseolala, a troubled Inuit girl whom he had sworn to protect. Her death dredges up demons he thought he'd buried along with the scars of a fractured marriage and the aching divide between himself and his estranged daughter.

As Cole's life unravels — and with it, the fragile thread of his investigation — he turns to Pitseolala's younger brother, Maliktu, a fellow outsider. It's then that Cole uncovers what binds them: a singular mission to find her killer.

Against fierce backlash, Cole's overriding desire to redeem just one aspect of his otherwise failed life becomes an obsession — and he's willing to break every rule in his unyielding pursuit of justice and the smallest shred of redemption.

Reviews

'A haunting, immersive, moving story-told by an expert, with great authority and emotion' Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist

'There's a river of warmth running under this icy, Arctic thriller, with a big bang of an ending you won't soon forget' Rene Denfeld

'[A] stunning debut . . . It's a knockout' Publishers Weekly, starred review

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