Dead Gone by Luca Veste

"The young girl you have found isn’t the first experiment I’ve carried out. She won’t be the last."

A serial killer is stalking the streets of Liverpool, gruesomely murdering victims as part of a series of infamous unethical and deadly psychological experiments. 

When it becomes apparent that each victim has ties to the City of Liverpool University, DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi realise they're chasing a killer unlike any they've hunted before – one who doesn’t just want his victims’ bodies, but wants their minds too.

Dead Gone is the debut novel from Luca Veste and is published in paperback by Avon on 16 January 2014.

DI Murphy and DS Rossi are leading the hunt for a murderer.  The body of a City of Liverpool University student has been found.  At first this seems like a pretty run of the mill murder, the Detectives are not concerned by the letter found by the body - brushing it off as a false clue, left by the killer to put the police off the scent.   Then the next body is found ..... and the next letter.   It soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary murderer, this is someone with something to prove.   The killer refers to his victims as experiments, but why start with Experiment 3?   What happened to the first two experiments?  

Dead Gone is gripping from the opening paragraph.  The story is shocking and very intense, but there are no cheap thrills here.  Drawing on his own background as a psychology student, Luca Veste has put together a story that is intelligently written, well plotted and frighteningly realistic. Using well known unethical psychological experiments, the author has created a serial killer - and crimes that are disturbing in their possibility.

DI David Murphy is dealing with his own demons, and these are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. His own experiences are often as shocking as the crimes that he is trying to solve, and have shaped his character, and his relationships.   DS Rossi is young and eager to please her boss, she has a gentleness about her that offsets Murphy's darkness.

This is quite simply, a stunning debut from an author who I have no doubt is going to find huge success in this genre.  Dead Gone is complex, intriguing and spine-chilling.  

My thanks to Avon, the publishers for sending my copy for review.

Luca Veste is a writer of Italian and Scouse heritage, currently living on the wrong side of the River Mersey.  He is married with two young daughters, and is himself one of nine children.
He is currently a mature student, studying Psychology and Criminology in Liverpool.
He is the editor of the Spinetingler Award nominated charity anthology series Off The Record, which raises money for children's literacy charities.  He also has short stories in numerous publications.
A former civil servant, actor and musician, he now divides his time between home life, University work and writing.

To find out more about Luca Veste visit his website www.lucavest.com or find him on both Facebook and Twitter @lucaveste