Longlisted for the 2025 CWA Historical Dagger <p/> 'Jackson's hero is the natural heir to Bernie Gunther' Andrew Taylor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ashes of London <p/> 'One of the UK's finest crime writers' Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author of Napoleon's Spy <p/> 'A remarkable crime debut' Maxim Jakubowksi, Crime Time <p/> As the Nazis roll into Warsaw, a serial killer is unleashed <p/> September 1939. A city ruled by fear. A population brutalised by restrictions and reprisals. Amid the devastation, another hunter begins to prowl. What are a few more deaths amid scores of daily executions? <p/> Former chief investigator Jan Kalisz lives a dangerous double life, forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the fledgling Polish resistance. Even his family cannot be told his true allegiance. <p/> When the niece of a Wehrmacht general is found terribly mutilated, Jan links the murder to other killings that are of less interest to his new overlords. Soon, he finds himself on the trail of a psychopathic killer known as The Artist. But, shunned as a Nazi collaborator, can he solve the case before another innocent girl is taken? <p/> A chilling serial killer investigation, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow's Blackout and the TV series Hannibal starring Mads Mikkelson. <p/> Praise for Blood Roses <p/> 'A compelling, evocative story of evil stalking amidst the chaos of war' Giles Kristian <p/> 'A dark, twisting thriller ... Jan Kalisz, Douglas Jackson's police officer hero, is the natural heir to the late Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther' Andrew Taylor <p/> 'A remarkable crime debut What raises the novel to another level is in the atmospheric evocation of a city in the process of being systematically obliterated by the Germans and brought to life again by Jackson's pen Gripping stuff, a series that could develop into something impressive and a goldmine for Philip Kerr Bernie Gunther fans' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time <p/> 'Immensely powerful and vivid .... This is historical crime fiction at its best' Chris Lloyd <p/> 'The writing is scalpel-sharp, the unrelenting savagery of the Nazi occupation vividly painted With this book, Jackson will rightfully be regarded as one of the UK's finest crime writers' Ben Kane <p/> 'A taut, tense thriller Gutsy and gripping, this is perfect for fans of Chris Lloyd and Robert Harris' D. V. Bishop <p/> 'Jackson has created a brilliant mash-up of WW2 thriller and a serial killer chiller, and in so doing brings a fresh perspective to both. Sharp, intelligent writing that makes for a compelling read' Alison Belsham <p/> 'Jan Kalisz is a dazzling addition to the canon of compromised heroes... A thrilling wartime adventure story' Russ Thomas <p/> 'Jackson brings the tension, brutality and paranoia of Warsaw of the period into murderous life. A knife-edge thriller' Douglas Skelton <p/> 'A dark story set against dark times, you practically need a torch to read it' Alec Marsh, author of Rule Britannia <p/> 'Jackson has written an utterly compelling novel ... A remarkable piece of work, a fine piece of craftsmanship' Scotsman
