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CHRISTIE J. NEWPORT
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THE RAVEN’S MARK an absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist (The Preston Murders Book 1) Kindle Edition

by CHRISTIE J. NEWPORT (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 900 ratings
‘The most assured crime debut I have ever read.’ #1 bestselling author Lisa Jewell

Discover the most unputdownable crime thriller of the year. From Joffe Books Prize winner Christie J. Newport.

READ THE FIRST PAGE AND YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN.

Meet Beth Fellows, a Preston detective haunted by her mum’s murder when she was only four. She’s a driven woman with a heart of gold.

A stranger came into our home, strangled my mother to death and left me sitting alone with her body. What happened to my mum is the driving force behind every major decision I’ve made since . . .

Now Beth faces the hardest case of her career: Rose Danes’s throat is cut, her body discarded on a council estate. Seared into the teenage girl’s skin is the image of a raven.

Six years ago, another girl was attacked. The victim, fourteen-year-old Celine Wilson, barely survived and was left brain-damaged in a coma.

THIS GIRL ALSO HAD A RAVEN BURNED ON HER BODY.

Why wait six years to strike again?

Then Beth receives a mobile phone from the killer — with a warning that he will hurt those closest to her if she tells anyone.

She’s talking to a dangerous predator but nobody knows. Not her team. Not her partner. No one.

If I'd known the personal cost of heading this investigation I would have walked away. No, I would have run as fast as I could and never looked back. Now, it's far too late . . .

Beth must break all the rules to stop any more girls from suffering. But will her everything be enough to stop a sick murderer?

THE END WILL LEAVE YOU UTTERLY BLOWN AWAY.

Fans of Angela Marsons, Helen Fields, Nadine Matheson, Helen H. Durrant, Rachel McLean, Lynda La Plante and Dorothy Koomson will devour this page-turning crime thriller.

READERS LOVE THE RAVEN’S MARK:

‘The writing is so assured, the characterizations so rich and believable, the twisty storyline so gripping and unexpected. Christie Newport is definitely a star on the rise!’ Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Last House on the Street

‘Taut, pacy and gritty story that kept me guessing the whole way through.’ Philippa East, author of Little White Lies and I'll Never Tell

‘A propulsive thriller with a flawed protagonist, a diabolical villain and enough procedural detail to make the setting life-like.’ Douglas Skelton

‘Taut and compelling. Christie Newport has written a pacy police procedural with a compelling new heroine.’ Andrea Carter

‘I tore through this dark, shocking and brilliantly executed police procedural peppered with eye-popping twists galore.’ A.A. Chaudhuri

‘The plot is gritty, deliciously dark and fast-paced with a host of colourful characters who keep the pages turning.’ Kate Bendelow

‘Twisty, tense and authentic — a compelling police procedural with real heart.’ Marion Todd

‘An utterly compelling and propulsive thriller that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go!’ Awais Khan

‘Vivid, gripping and authentic.’ Alison Belsham

‘The twists and turns never stop . . . kept me captivated to the last page.’ Patricia G.

ABOUT THE DETECTIVE
Beth is no stranger to violent death. When she was four, she witnessed her mum’s murder. The killer was never caught and that injustice is what propelled her to join the police. Now everyone Beth loves is placed in the firing line as she goes head-to-head with a ruthless killer.

ABOUT THE SETTING
Nestled on the banks of the River Ribble, Preston has faced its challenges but is once again a thriving Northern city, with a vibrant multicultural population. It is a beautiful place but there are dark alleys where the worst human impulses go unchecked.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Preston Murders
  2. Print length
    309 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    November 30, 2022
  6. File size
    2.5 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

gripping, mystery, crime, thriller, english, british, detective, female, police procedural
scottish, witty, characters, thriller, mystery, twists, action, detective
Helen Fields, Nadine Matheson, Helen H. Durrant, Noelle Holten, Rachel MacLean, Caro Ramsay

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BGY68WW8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joffe Books crime thriller, mystery and suspense
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 30, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 309 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1804055373
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Preston Murders
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 900 ratings

About the author

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CHRISTIE J. NEWPORT

CHRISTIE J. NEWPORT

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Christie J. Newport was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1981. She spent ten years living away, most notably in her beloved Northumberland, with her wife and their Labrador. She has since relocated back to Lancashire, where she lives with her wife in Grimsargh Village. In 2004, Christie graduated from Edge Hill University with a BA (Hons) degree in Journalism, prior to which she attended Archbishop Temple High School and Preston College. She is now agented by Northbank Talent Management and works closely with Elizabeth Counsell. She was the inaugural winner of the Joffe Books Prize for Crime Writers of Colour in 2021. Her first crime thriller, The Raven's Mark (the first in The Preston Murders Series), was published to great acclaim. You can purchase The Raven's Mark in paperback, e-book, and Audiobook. The Ordinary Man is the second in The Preston Murders Series and is now available in paperback and e-book. Both books have received high praise from authors, critics, bloggers, reviewers, and readers. Christie will also be publishing historical psychological thrillers with Storm Publishing in the near future.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
900 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • jeane
    5.0 out of 5 stars RAVEN’S MARK
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Best crime thriller I have read recently. Now in my top 5.
    For me, it was one of those novels I couldn’t let rest. Loved it!
    PLEASE READ IT!
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  • Meredith
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Psychological Thriller!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a pretty good little psychological thriller! There are the expected twists and turns and the antagonist is appropriately evil. I figured out some of the big reveal about halfway through the book, but it was still well worth the read. I do have to say that the author writes her lead law enforcement agent as the kind who always does the dumb thing out of a sense of misguided goodness. If that gets on your nerves, skip this one! It does end on a cliffhanger, so you’ll have to read the next book to get to the conclusion.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • MikiA
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ending not surprising
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    If you've read any significant number of mysteries you will see the "twist" coming and not be surprised by it. Having said that, the characters are interesting and certainly have the potential to carry a series. I would recommend for that reason.
    One person found this helpful
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  • LoisC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Leaves you wanting more.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    To be honest I figured out a lot of the mystery before Beth did but I still enjoyed watching her get there. It does surprise me how dumb a decorated police person can be.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Sheri O'Neill
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great start to a new series!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2022
    Simon says be careful, I'm always watching. If you want your loved ones safe, you can't tell anyone we talking to one another. An excellent premise that moved along at a very quick pace. I hope to see more from DI Beth Fellows. I felt that this was a very good first novel in a new series for a new author. The characters could have used a little more development and I guessed who the big bad killer was about a quarter way through the book, that didn't stop me from enjoying the read.
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  • merilee elliott
    5.0 out of 5 stars What would you do to protect those you love?
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2022
    If you want them safe you can't tell anyone. A very scary premise for a very scary story. I really hurt for detective Beth Fellows. A great first novel for a new author with, I am sure, many more to follow. The twists and turns keep coming until the very end. Simon says be very careful!

    Thank you Joffe Books for the advance ARC.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kay Bordner
    4.0 out of 5 stars First book in a new series!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2022
    Intriguing story line with numerous twists and turns in both Beth Fellows professional as well as personal life. Rules are bent, if not broken. Although understandable, consequences do happen.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Steve48
    2.0 out of 5 stars Unprofessional Detective
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I really wanted to like this series because the story is well written, but I couldn't. The protagonist behaves foolishly and exhibits judgement that would be unacceptable in a child, far less in a senior police officer.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Maria
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Book!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book was very well written and the story flew at the rate of a super sonic jet. There wasn’t a moment of downtime and it was impossible to put down.
    Report
  • Margarethe Heinrich
    1.0 out of 5 stars Why create evil
    Reviewed in Germany on February 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Christie Newport could be a 5 star writer if she would not bring a lot of evil, brutality and horror into the world. Is the mind creating the most horrendous things not as wicked as the one physically performing them? In the beginning was the logos… Each deed originates from a thought. Good thoughts, ideas, books, films are healing the world. Evil generates evil and adds to throw our world into darkness.
    A shame that a gifted writer uses her time, intelligence and energy to add to the wickedness in our lifes.
    Report
  • Maureen
    5.0 out of 5 stars This debut packs a punch
    Reviewed in Australia on January 28, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    What a fabulous debut. It really snuck up on me from the start. I wondered if it was going to be for me but then wow. So much packed in between the pages. So many unexpected directions too
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  • Jackiesreadingcorner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific debut novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Wow, what a great start to what I hope is a new crime series. This book will have you gripped from the first page. Guaranteed. If you love a serial killer thriller then look no further. Meet Beth Fellows she is made the DSIO Of the latest case, but it’s not long before she realises that this case is linked to a cold case she had worked on. The killer leaves a signature that of a Raven on the skin of the bodies. The first victim Celine had survived but was left in a coma.

    Why did the killer wait so long to start again? Beth was determined to try and stop anyone else being killed. When she received a package in the post with a burner phone in she tells no one, because this phone is from the killer with photo’s of everyone Beth loves on it, it also has a photo of herself she knows someone is watching her. When the killer calls she does what he asks despite the risks. Can Beth catch this killer?

    I loved the cast of characters in this book, so much diversity it was great to read, and I really look forward to getting to know more about each of the character’s. Beth had seen her mother murdered when she was only 4 years old that was what led her to becoming a police officer. The story grips you from page one, you get pulled right in I was trying desperately to guess who the killer was, just as you thought you had an idea another twist comes along. This is one hell of a rollercoaster ride the pages were turning so fast I didn’t want to put the book down. The pace was perfect, the characters were well crafted believable and likeable. What more can you ask for from a book. I cannot wait until book 2 in this series. It was actually hard to believe that this was a debut novel.

    A great engrossing, fast paced crime novel that you will not be able to put down. A definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. If you love a crime novel, police procedural, with great characters then buy yourself a copy of this book now.
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  • Toon girl 46
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although the massive twist wasn't quite as massive as I worked out most of it by the time I was about 1/3rd of the way through. However, there was still a good twist which I didn't see until about 75% of the way through, and it was good to see how the plot unfurled and the main protagonist worked it out.
    Report

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