The Samaritan

The Samaritan

You think he’s here to help… you’re wrong

When the mutilated body of a young woman is discovered in the Santa Monica Mountains, LAPD Detective Jessica Allen knows this isn’t the work of a first-time killer.

She’s seen this MO before, two and a half years ago on the other side of the country. Allen begins to dig deeper and soon uncovers a terrifying truth. A sadistic serial killer has been operating undetected for the past decade, preying on lone female drivers who have broken down. The press dub the killer ‘the Samaritan’, but with no leads and a killer who leaves no traces, the police investigation quickly grinds to a halt.

That’s when Carter Blake shows up to volunteer his services. He’s a skilled manhunter with an uncanny ability to predict the Samaritan’s next moves. At first, Allen and her colleagues are suspicious. After all, their new ally shares some uncomfortable similarities to the man they’re tracking.

But as the Samaritan takes his slaughter to the next level, Blake is forced to reveal that the similarities between the two men are closer than even Allen suspects. With time running out and an opponent who knows all of his tricks, Blake must find a way to stop the Samaritan… even if it means bringing his own past crashing down on top of him.

www.orionbooks.co.uk

Selected for the Richard & Judy Spring Book Club 2016
Praise for The Samaritan
“A sprawling American epic delivered with panache.”
 *
“A quintessentially American detective story … Cross has a fine grasp of Angelino authenticity, and puts it to full use. He’s a writer who has his own voice and likes to use it, and the locale, to heighten the tension to breaking point.”
 *
“A classic wolf-in-sheep’s clothing story, The Samaritan is gripping”
*
“Even jaded genre readers will be absorbed by Cross’s second thriller featuring manhunter Carter Blake.”
 *
“If you love Michael Connelly and Robert Crais thrillers that pack action and nerve-shredding suspense while moving to a cool Los Angeles vibe, you’ll rave about this … Cross makes the manhunt so intensely gripping it plays like a Hollywood blockbuster in your head.”
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
*
The Samaritan is packed with all the trademark heart-stopping action, break-neck pace, and twisting-turning plotlines that made Mason’s debut novel – The Killing Season – such a huge success.”
*

“Beautiful twists and turns, a gorgeous flow to the prose and generally speaking this is a damn good read.”

 *
“Fans of Jeffery Deaver—that other thrill-master who can’t resist piling on the climactic twists even as the lights are coming up and you’re looking for your umbrella—should be enthralled.”
Kirkus
 *
“The Killing Season had a heart-stopping, thrilling ending and this was delivered again in The Samaritan and then some.”
– Book Addict Shaun
 *
“I was fascinated by the story and once started I just could not put it down. This author who has only published one other book so far, writes with such dexterity and expert plotting that one would think he has many, many titles to his credit. I must try and get hold of his earlier book as I don’t think I can wait until next year to read more about Carter Blake. Extremely well recommended.”
*
“It really is a difficult novel to put down. The characterisation is strong, the sense of place powerful and Cross’s scenic descriptions vivid and compelling. This is a very well written crime thriller and Carter Blake deserves many more outings.”
*
“A breathtaking and adrenalin-soaked ride. THE SAMARITAN is immensely readable, with shocks and twists along the way, before reaching a thrilling conclusion.”
– The Book Blonde
*
“Shrouded in compelling mystery.”
Big Issue North
*
“The Samaritan has a plot you can stick your teeth into.  Cross keeps us guessing and throws a few curve balls in to keep us on our toes.”
*
“The Killing Season was a ripper. This is just as good.”
Sydney Daily Telegraph
*
“THE SAMARITAN stands fiercely and triumphantly on its own.”