A stunning thriller that sees Yorkshire-based DC Karen Sharpe brought to the very edge of her sanity.

A year and a half ago DC Karen Sharpe was the victim of a terrifying crime. Desperately trying to shelter from its effects she has been working simple fraud and theft cases in West Yorkshire CID. But the brutal murder of a young pregnant woman threatens the precarious wall she has built around herself. Drafted onto the squad to deal with the victim's six-year-old child, Karen finds herself overwhelmed by the devastating nature of the attack.

As nightmares from her past start to reoccur, her relationships with those closest to her begin to crack under the strain. An illicit relationship with her boss promises escape: a new beginning without the trappings of past horrors and guilt. But life has a savage lesson in store for her. As West Yorkshire erupts in a summer of explosive race riots, events tip Karen into the depths of the very world she has been fleeing.

Connor's plot is enthralling, his characters sharp and vital: FALLING is a compelling, intelligent thriller, placing everyday normality in dramatic relief against the horrific experiences of Sharpe and her colleagues. * Financial Times *
Compelling * Guardian *
The writing is skilled and the West Yorkshire background described with authority in a plot based on racial tensions and their explosive repercussions... not a comfortable reading but a gripping one * Literary Review *
Enjoyably intricate and well-composed * Sunday Telegraph *
A superb cast of characters, a gritty and appalling window into the race riots that took their toll on Bradford... and also with a crashing, blockbuster of an ending that sees justice meted out to those who deserve it the most. * Bookbag *
A gritty, noirish series with a fantastic protagonist * Tangled Web *
A fast-paced, explosive thriller, which makes for a great read * Western Daily Express *
Connor's moving up the ladder of police procedural mastery and in the brittle but determined cop Karen he has a secure pension * Daily Sport *

John Connor left his job as a barrister to write full time. During the fifteen years of his legal career he prosecuted numerous homicide cases in West Yorkshire and London. He advised the police in numerous proactive drugs and organised crime operations, many involving covert activity. He now lives in Brussels with his wife and two children.