FACE OF THE DEVIL
Book ID/图书代码： 05430012B55763
English Summary/英文概要： Sixteen-year-old Suzi Gray is battered to death on the Isle of Wight and a young boy goes missing, as wild December weather smashes down on the deserted beaches. Karen Taylor is working with the police on both cases, while fighting the planning officers who oppose the design for her stylish new house. She also has to choose between the two men in her life: DCI Charlie Trench and neurosurgeon Will Hawkins.
The chief suspect in Suzi’s murder is Oliver Matken, a 19-year-old schizophrenic encouraged to stop taking his medication by psychologist James Balton. Balton is vilified and harassed, as if he were as guilty of murder as his patient. DCI Charlie Trench, promoted to a job with the Major Crimes squad, needs Karen’s help to get a confession from Oliver, who will admit only rearranging Suzi’s body ’to protect her from the devil’. The forensic evidence against him isn’t clear enough and the police can’t find the murder weapon.
In the run up to Christmas emotions run high on the Island. What will Oliver do next if he’s set free? What has happened to missing 13-year-old Billy Jenkins? Was Dr Balton guilty of inciting Oliver’s violence? Will Karen survive professionally if she allies herself with Balton? How long can Will stay with her if she puts her career ahead of their relationship? Can she resist her attraction to Charlie Trench?
Half-way through the novel Billy’s body is found with two bullets in the brain, then Will is nearly killed driving Karen’s car, which has been sabotaged...
Chinese Summary/中文概要：
維特島上，12月的狂暴天氣正衝擊著荒蕪的沙灘，此時16歲的蘇茲•格雷被打死，還有一個男孩走失不見。卡倫正和員警共同偵查這兩個案件，同時還要糾結她的感情生活，她要在兩個男人之間做個選擇——中央情報局的查理•特蘭斯，還是神經外科醫生威爾•哈金斯。
蘇茲案件的嫌疑人被認定是奧利佛•馬特肯。他是一個19歲的精神分裂症患者。他的醫師詹姆斯•巴爾盾因鼓動他停止用藥而被辱駡中傷。人們覺得他應對其病人的罪行負責。中央情報局的查理•特蘭斯晉升到重案組，他需要卡倫幫忙讓奧利佛認罪。奧利佛只承認把蘇茲分屍，說這麼做是為了以免惡魔糾纏她。員警找不到謀殺武器，現存的證物還不足以定奧利佛的罪。
奧利佛被釋放後他會做什麼？走失的13歲男孩比利•詹金斯出了什麼事？巴爾盾醫生會因為誘發奧利佛殺人而獲罪嗎？卡倫若贊同巴爾盾的做法會不會遭到非議？威爾能不能借用這次工作機會得到卡倫的芳心？
正當這些問題懸而未決時，有人發現了比利的屍體，因頭部中兩槍而死；卡倫的車被惡意破壞，威爾陰錯陽差地開了她的車，差點沒了命。
故事結尾收攏了所有線索，蘇茲和比爾的死也真相大白。秘密被揭開之時，我們看到一步走錯會導致多大的災難！(Celia)
Awards/获奖情况：
版權已賣：
英國Simon & Schuster。電視劇已授權Carnival
Books available. UK: Simon & Schuster; Audio: Soundings; TV rights optioned to Carnival
About the Author/作者介绍：
N.J. Cooper生活在倫敦，為多家報紙和期刊撰寫專欄。她是犯罪小說協會2000-2001年的主席，多次在犯罪小說研討會上演講。她以Natasha Cooper的名字寫了Trish Maguire系列和卡倫•泰勒心理懸疑小說系列。2002年，她成為圖書館匕首獎的候選人，此獎專門獎勵讀者們最喜愛圖書的作者。
Natasha Cooper was Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association in 2000/2001. She reviews books in THE TIMES, THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT and the NEW LAW JOURNAL. She is the author of, among others, FAULT LINES and PREY TO ALL.
Format:
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：
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