DI Matt Barnes 1: A Reason To Kill

Detective Inspector Matt Barnes is a cop dedicated to his job at the expense of all else. He and his team are protecting the star witness in the upcoming trial of gangland boss, Frank Santini.

All aspects of Matt’s life are altered forever when Santini hires a contract killer, Gary Noon, to hit the safe house. Only Matt survives the onslaught of an inventive and sadistic killer, but is left seriously wounded.

The subsequent search for Noon is both a personal and professional challenge, during which Matt is aided by Criminal Psychologist Dr. Beth Holder, who is brought in to build a profile on Noon.

The man they seek comes to consider Matt a threat to his continued wellbeing, and determines to eliminate him.

As Matt and Beth’s relationship flourishes, more people die at Noon’s hand, and events conspire to bring the cop and killer ever closer to a deadly showdown.

With an unknown enemy within New Scotland Yard, Santini’s goons hunting for him, and a second imported hitman also on his trail, Matt knows that the odds against him surviving by outmanoeuvring the various factions are at best slim.

Noon is the personification of evil; a psychopath using violence and cruelty to feed his sadistic needs. He considers himself a hunter: his fellow man, and especially Matt Barnes, the prey.