Dead North cover art

Dead North

Sam Williams, Book 1

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Dead North

By: Joel Hames
Narrated by: Andrew Calverley
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About this listen

Two dead cops and a suspect who won’t talk....

Once the brightest star in the legal firmament, Sam Williams has hit rock bottom, with barely a client to his name and a short-term cash problem that's looking longer by the minute. So when he's summoned to Manchester to help a friend crack a case involving the murder of two unarmed police officers and a suspect who won't say a word, he jumps at the chance to resurrect his career.

In Manchester, he'll struggle against resentful locals, an enigmatic defense lawyer who thinks he's stepping on her toes, beatings, corrupt cops, and people who'll do anything to protect their secrets. On its streets, he’ll see people die. But it's in the hills and valleys further north that Sam will face the biggest challenge of all: learning who he really is and facing down the ghosts of his past.

He’s working someone else’s case, and he’s in way over his head. But sometimes, you need the wrong man in the right place.

©2018 Joel Hames (P)2019 Joel Hames Crime Fiction Thriller & Suspense Law Thriller Crime Fiction Exciting Witty

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Critic reviews

“In Dead North, Hames’ lawyer turned accidental sleuth, Sam Williams, finds himself far from home and neck deep in Manchester’s seamy gangster scene. But what stands out in this intelligent, intricately woven crime procedural - with a plot to make your brain hurt - is the undercurrent of slick and highly enjoyable humour reminiscent of Raymond Chandler, updated for the 21st century. Loved it.” (S.E. Lynes, author of Mother, Valentina, and The Pact)

“I really enjoyed it. The characters spring of the page with such natural ease. I was gripped by the story - I love a book that takes turns where you least expect. It's going to leave me with a thriller hangover for some time.” (John Marrs, author of The One, The Good Samaritan, and When You Disappeared)

“Hames is such a talent that he has created a white-knuckle, breathlessly-paced read that also has heart. Beautifully written and thrilling, Dead North deserves to go to the top of any chart.” (Louise Beech, author of Maria in the Moon, How to Be Brave, and The Mountain in My Shoe)

All stars
Most relevant
Dead North by Joel Hames
I listened to this book on audio, I think I got a bit lost along the way, I persevered and the story did come together by the end.
I have the next book in the series on audio too, and if I am feeling lost during next book I will switch to reading it. I did enjoy the narrator though, so will give book 2 a chance.

good narrator

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Listener received this title free

Sam Williams is a down on his luck London solicitor who was fired from his last employment and is now taking small cases. He receives a phone call from a police colleague who asks him to assist as legal advisor on the case of the murder of 2 policemen in Manchester.

Dead North is a fast paced, tautly written police procedural with a brilliant storyline which hooks you in from the start. It’s certainly very different to the usual crime thrillers. There were so many twists and red herrings and quite a bit of violence. But by the end all the loose ends were tied up for a satisfying conclusion..

Sam Williams is a fantastic character and I loved his dry wit and self-deprecating humour. The other characters were also well drawn, and the setting of Manchester was painted so well, grey and miserable.

This was my first book by Joel Hames and I loved his writing style so will definitely be searching out more of his books.. I listened to the Audible version and the narrator had a perfect voice for the book.

Thrilling

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What a likeable character Sam is. This is a fast paced listen, some dry wit and an interesting plot. Highly enjoyable.

Fast paced

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I love this series but hadn’t actually read the first volume before so when I had the chance to pick this up on audio I happily went for it.
As the events from this book get referenced later on I already knew roughly what to expect from the plot but it was great to fill in the gaps in Sam’s background and the pace, plotting and page-turning quality are just as good as with books two and three. The narration by Andrew Calverley was absolutely excellent - in fact his voice made the main character immediately likeable from the start (it took me a little to warm to him in book two) and brought out the wry humour in Joel Hames’ writing wonderfully. A real treat to listen and may there be many more!

A real treat

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Listener received this title free

Sam Williams is a struggling London lawyer, down on his luck financially and relying on his girlfriend to pay the rent. When Sam receives a call from his old friend DI Roakes he agrees to go to Manchester assist with a case. Two unarmed police officers have been shot dead and the suspect, Thomas Carson, is refusing to speak to anyone. The story is clever, if convoluted but I found the first person narrative very off putting as it made Sam came across as rather whiney. Despite this it was a good read.

Convoluted storyline

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