The Fields of Grief

A terrifying psychological thriller in which a spate of suicides could just be the work of a serial killer; featuring homicide detectives Cardinal and Delorme from the award-winning ‘Forty Words for Sorrow’.

Photographer Catherine Cardinal’s fatal fall from a high building one moonlit night is ruled an act of suicide. She has a history of depression, a note is found and her psychiatrist is not surprised. But her husband, John Cardinal, won’t accept this conclusion.

Driven by grief and guilt, he launches his own investigation, helped by his reluctant colleagues. And when vicious notes appear, taunting him for his loss, his theory that she was murdered suddenly seems to be credible.

Cardinal revisits his past, searching for a possible suspect among his previous arrests. Someone with a grudge, a person twisted enough to target his innocent wife in revenge.

But could he be looking in the wrong place? The mystery deepens when he uncovers a spate of tragic suicides, leading him to investigate a startling new possibility – one so shocking, it has never been suspected…

Reviews

Praise for ‘The Fields of Grief’:

‘It’s not easy to invent an original way to commit murder but the crime in “The Fields of Grief” is extraordinary… Blunt has turned a conventional whodunit into a fascinating psychological duel between the detective and the murderer’ Sunday Telegraph

‘An emotionally involving and intellectually challenging journey from night into day. A fine and moving novel about bereavement’ Reginald Hill

Praise for Giles Blunt:

‘Intensely vivid characters, terrible crimes and a brutal deep-frozen landscape all prove beyond a reasonable doubt that cold nurtures good and evil as readily as heat…and that Giles Blunt is a really tremendous crime novelist.’ Lee Child

‘One of the finest crime novels I’ve ever read. Giles Blunt writes with uncommon grace, style and compassion and he plots like a demon. This book has it all – unforgettable characters, beautiful language, throat-constricting suspense.’ Jonathan Kellerman

‘A superior Canadian police procedural with an evocative sense of place: the frozen lakes and forests are as integral to the plot as the flawed detective…an impressive achievement.’ Guardian

‘A highly professional tour de force: excellently plotted, with fleshed-out characters and a well-portrayed interesting setting.’ Independent

‘As fine a police procedural as any written in the USA…as fresh as morning dew…never less than fascinating throughout.’ Independent on Sunday

About the author

Giles Blunt grew up in North Bay, Ontario, and now lives in Toronto. He has written scripts for ‘Law & Order’, ‘Street Legal’, and ‘Night Heat’. His first psychological thriller, ‘Forty Words for Sorrow’, which also features Detectives Cardinal and Delorme, won the 2001 Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award.