Blood on The Broadcast is the debut crime novel by S.D.W. Hamilton. It publishes February 2nd and is described as ‘a crime thriller set in Belfast with a locked room mystery at its core.’
I am delighted to be sharing an extract with you all today from Blood on The Broadcast, a debut that is receiving wonderful early praise:
An intriguing case for Belfast based PI, Jacob Kincaid, lies at the heart of this hugely satisfying debut mystery, written with real skill and confidence. Hamilton is definitely one to watch. ~ Brian McGilloway, Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of DS Lucy Black thrillers and Inspector Devlin mysteries
Blood on the Broadcast is a clever, witty, and expertly executed thrill ride of a crime novel. With his debut, SDW Hamilton makes a name for himself as a crime author to watch and I personally can’t wait to see what he does next. ~ Sara Ochs, Author of The Dive and The Resort
Don’t miss this terrific debut from an exciting new voice in Northern Irish crime fiction. In this complex locked-room mystery, S.D.W. Hamilton introduces readers to a conflicted, dedicated private investigator in Jacob Kincaid. Together with his latest client, Natalie, he probes a young woman’s puzzling death and its connection to a mysterious cult. ~ J. Woollcott, award-winning author of A Nice Place to Die and Blood Relations, The Belfast Murder Series.
[ About Blood on The Broadcast ]
A Locked Room. An Improbable Murder.
When Private Investigator Jacob Kincaid is approached by mystery podcaster Natalie Amato, he senses a case that matters may have finally fallen across his desk.
The former journalist hires Jacob to investigate the death of a colleague, convinced what was initially written off by police as an accident, was actually murder.
With an unlikely crime and a
cult of Ireland’s elite watching from the shadows, Jacob must navigate an increasingly deadly case to get the answers he needs and where every new truth uncovered puts his life, and Natalie’s, at risk.
Blood on The Broadcast ~ Purchase Link
[ Extract ]
This short extract is from towards the start of the story. Our protagonists, Jacob and Natalie, are in the apartment of Natalie’s recently deceased colleague, Roisin Dunwoody. Prior to her death, Roisin had been working on Natalie’s podcast, Miss Gumshoe, helping to produce a series focusing on a cult of Ireland’s political and social elite, The Followers of Eden. Following Roisin’s death in her apartment, Natalie has become convinced foul play was involved, rather than the accident as ruled by Police.
Jacob took a final look around the room before sitting down on the edge of one of the sofas. “I just don’t see it,” he said. “You’re paying me eight hundred quid a week. I could tell you what I think you want to hear, but I’ll be honest. The only way in was securely locked. The windows are inaccessible and much too small for anyone to fit through. There’s no hidden entrance, no chimney and the attic is too high for someone to drop through, not to mention securely barred from the corridor.”
Natalie bent over the sofa Jacob was sitting on, resting her elbows on the back of it. “Roisin was barefoot. The direction she was lying meant she would have had to walk over broken glass.”
Jacob shrugged. “A little bit of good luck before a large dollop of bad.”
“What about the way she fell?” Natalie pushed herself up and placed her heel at the edge of the dried-in stain and lowered herself backwards. The top of her back touched against the corner of the table Roisin had fallen against. “And Roisin was a tall girl, had at least three inches on me.”
“Could have slipped in the wine, one foot forward while the other went out from under her.” Natalie stepped aside so Jacob could provide a clumsy demonstration of what he meant. “She could have fallen awkwardly instead of straight back.”
He stepped away from the table with another sigh. The obvious answer was usually the right one and the glaringly obvious answer in this case was that Roisin Dunwoody, drunk and possibly high, had slipped, cracked her head, and died.
“I know this is a leap,” Natalie said. “One I can’t explain. That’s why I came to you specifically.”
“Let’s say, for argument’s sake, you’re right. In that case we now have more questions.”
“Like?”
“A suspect, for one. Motive, for another.”
“The Followers. They are fervent.”
“Enough for them to kill?”
Natalie shot him a look. This was Northern Ireland; people had been killing other people over religion and politics longer than the place had existed.
“Ok, stupid question. Let’s think about the cult then. What’s their motive? You said they were trying to threaten Roisin but they had done nothing violent against her physically. The show was out so the damage was already done. If they were willing to kill over this, why not do it when it would have an effect? At this stage the horse has already bolted.”
Natalie cleared her throat.
“Ah. There was more.”
“A lot more,” Natalie said, gently fiddling with the bezel on her Breitling. It was an uncharacteristically nervous gesture.
“With a plan to release it down the line.”
“No.” Natalie shook her head. “I made the decision to stop when we did. Miss Gumshoe was going to have nothing further to do with the story.”
“But you said it was your most popular piece?”
“It was and Roisin got death threats and nasty phone calls and emails. Our business address got a few letters threatening legal action. I began to notice strange men lurking about my street.”
Jacob frowned. “You didn’t mention that yesterday.”
“It was probably just me being paranoid,” she said, waving the thought away, “But I have a son at home. I make a comfortable living without getting myself mixed up in anything dangerous. I didn’t want to put myself front and centre.”
“But?”
“But… I offered to help Roisin produce her own podcast about the Followers. I’d take a cut of the profit and in return give her some guidance on how to create and publish a workable product, help her through the process, recommend people.”
“And then Roisin died and now you think it might have been your fault.”
Natalie looked across at him sharply. “No. This isn’t me on a guilt trip. Someone needs to answer. Someone needs to make sure Roisin mattered. Someone killed her and they think they got away with it.”
“And you’re willing to accept the consequences of going down that path?
Her usual warm smile took a grim edge. “Yes, I am.” Dark hazel eyes turned to him. “Are you?”
[ Bio ]
“I was born and raised in the scenic surroundings of Portrush, Northern Ireland.
Blood on The Broadcast, a crime and mystery thriller set in Belfast, is my debut novel and is due to release on 2nd February 2024. I have also recently completed my first foray into the Young Adult genre with a mystery novel titled Our Strange Town.
When not writing, I geek out over video games and most things Star Wars related.
I live with my wife, daughter, son and two doggos, in Belfast.”
Twitter – https://twitter.com/sdwhamilton87
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sdwhamilton/
Threads – https://www.threads.net/@sdwhamilton
Website – www.sdwhamilton.com
