The Next to Die

Five years since his daughter's death. Now it's happening again.

**A Sunday Times pick of the week**

'The Next to Die is a remarkably assured debut. It oozes the sour tang of authenticity, mingling psychiatry and crime with the mean streets of London.' Andrew Taylor

'Pitch-perfect tone and quality, a terrific debut.' Amer Anwar

'A superb, heart-thumping thriller. Without doubt my favourite read of the year.' Carol Wyer

'Hooked me immediately with its formidable pace and fluid style.' James Oswald

'Outstanding. Gritty and compelling with a cast of richly-drawn characters, this is an exceptional book. That ending - wow!' D. S. Butler

Dylan Kasper is stuck. Living in self-imposed reclusion from his former life in the police, he's been in a downward spiral since his daughter's death five years ago.

All that changes when the son of an esteemed professor jumps under an inner-city train. His former colleagues call it suicide, but Kasper knows different. This has all happened before - to him, and his dead daughter.

Taking on the investigation himself, Kasper soon realises the terrible trouble young Tommy had found himself in. With nowhere to run, he thought suicide was the only way to keep his family safe.

But before long, Kasper's investigation makes him target number one. Can he keep his demons in check and stay alive long enough to bring those responsible to justice?

Genre: Mystery

"With pitch-perfect tone and quality to the writing, The Next to Die is a great new piece of London noir and a terrific debut." - Amer Anwar

"An addictive and emotional roller-coaster of a read. Fast-paced yet beautifully written, with quirky characters that draw you in, this is a outstanding first novel." - Lisa Ballantyne

"An outstanding read. Gritty and compelling with a cast of richly-drawn characters, this is an exceptional book. A collection of menacing bad guys cause a whole heap of trouble for Kasper, the damaged hero, and that ending - wow!" - D S Butler

"Gritty, gripping and heartbreaking. Elliot Sweeney hasn't just added a vital new dimension to the city thriller, he's also created a brilliantly broken and utterly unique hero in Dylan Kasper. The Next to Die is authentic, compelling, and I couldn't put it down." - Tim Glister

"A stylish noir thriller with shades of Chandler that also manages to be bang up to date with big modern themes. This is a dark, gritty and compelling debut from a writer to watch." - Lisa Gray

"The Next to Die hooked me immediately with its formidable pace and fluid style. Kasper is a fascinatingly flawed but honourable character very much in the Chandler mould. A wonderfully assured debut, perfect for fans of dark and gritty thrillers." - James Oswald

"The Next to Die is a remarkably assured debut. It oozes the sour tang of authenticity, mingling psychiatry and crime with the mean streets of London. Kasper has the hallmark of the classic crime fiction protagonist, brutal but with an underlying compassion." - Andrew Taylor

"Sweeney manages to break your heart, turn your stomach and lead you by the nose through a sickeningly believable tale of excruciating loss, unflinching violence and bloody redemption." - Sam Tobin

"A terrific debut featuring the dark and dangerous Dylan Kasper, a protagonist who seems to have stepped straight out of a Chandler novel into the present day. Brilliant modern noir." - Trevor Wood

"A superb, heart-thumping thriller that sucks you in with its breathless action, The Next To Die is, without doubt, my favourite read of the year." - Carol Wyer