DARK BLOOD by Stuart MacBride, HarperCollins, £14.99

AFTER serving his time for countless vicious rapes, Richard Knox has found God.

He believes he has paid his dues and deserves to start afresh. In a desperate bid to escape his murky Newcastle past, he plans to rebuild his life in Aberdeen.

But, will his dark past allow him to go, or simply pursue him there?

The laconic Logan McRae is assigned to support Knox’s relocation, along with DSI Danby, but no-one is prepared for the ghastly turn events are about to take in this fast-paced thriller laced with a dark, dry humour.

CHRIS BURGESS