A Gift Before Dying

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What to expect

'Hypnotically good ' Lee Child

'A stunning debut' Daily Mail

'A life-affirming read' Daily Express

'A gritty debut thriller' Irish Independent

'One of the finest debuts of the year' Donald Ray Pollock

'Rich in atmosphere and relentlessly suspenseful' Michael Koryta

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AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, CAN JUSTICE STILL BE FOUND?

After a botched high-profile murder investigation, Sergeant Elderick Cole is exiled to the remote, rugged landscape of Nunavut, a vast territory in the Arctic Circle known for its untamed beauty, frigid temperatures, and endless winter nights.

His bleak existence takes a sinister turn when he discovers the hanging body of Pitseolala, a troubled Inuit girl whom he had sworn to protect. Her death dredges up demons he thought he'd buried along with the scars of a fractured marriage and the aching divide between himself and his estranged daughter.

As Cole's life unravels - and with it, the fragile thread of his investigation - he turns to Pitseolala's younger brother, Maliktu, a fellow outsider. It's then that Cole uncovers what binds them: a singular mission to find her killer.

Against fierce backlash, Cole's overriding desire to redeem just one aspect of his otherwise failed life becomes an obsession - and he's willing to break every rule in his unyielding pursuit of justice and the smallest shred of redemption.

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'A haunting, immersive, moving story-told by an expert, with great authority and emotion' Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist

'There's a river of warmth running under this icy, Arctic thriller, with a big bang of an ending you won't soon forget' Rene Denfeld

'[A] stunning debut . . . It's a knockout' Publishers Weekly, starred review

Critics Review

Stunning . . . Kempt worked in the Arctic which gives his story marvellous authenticity on top of a heart -wrenching plot
Daily Mail
A harrowing but ultimately life-affirming read, it's hard to believe this is a debut
Daily Express
What comes across most powerfully in this gritty debut thriller is . . . the dispiriting plight of many of the Inuit people
Irish Independent
One of the finest debuts of the year
Donald Ray Pollock, author of THE HEAVENLY TABLE
Rich in atmosphere and relentlessly suspenseful . . . a don't-miss-it debut
Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of THE PROPHET
A gripping thriller . . . Kempt's debut is delivered with insight and authority, pacing and style
Ivy Pochoda, author of WONDER VALLEY
A Gift Before Dying is a haunting, immersive, moving story - told by an expert, with great authority and emotion. Keep an eye on Malcolm Kempt - one of my favourite voices in contemporary dark fiction
Richard Thomas, a Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist
There's a river of warmth running under this icy Arctic thriller, with a big bang of an ending you won't soon forget. Hold on tight, because A Gift Before Dying will grip you until the last page
Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of THE CHILD FINDER
Stunning debut . . . Kempt's remarkably assured narrative evokes a mythic atmosphere . . . It's a knockout
Publishers Weekly
With its gripping opening, exciting climax, powerful sense of place and eerie, nicely unforced mysticism, this is a strong debut. There's never been a police protagonist more disheveled or out of sorts than Cole, which makes his determined efforts all the more winning. A terrific, permafrosted mystery
Kirkus
This extraordinary, beautifully crafted debut mystery blends together an arresting setting, a background of systemic social net failures in an Indigenous community, and a spiky police procedural . . . If you only read one mystery this year, this should be it
Booklist, starred review
Hypnotically good - instantly immersive, intense, and ultimately inspiring
Lee Child, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

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