The Colours of Death

Critics Review

• This is crime fiction with a twist. Detective Inspector Reis is in pursuit of a killer. Nothing new there, but the murders take place in an alternative Lisbon, Portugal where the population is split into gifted or non-gifted and Inspector Reis is registered as gifted due to her being a telepath. This was a gripping and highly invented thrill ride. I can’t wait for more

  Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man

• Patricia Marques crafts a riveting mystery about power, privilege, and murder. Genuinely gripping, The Colours of Death has immense heart and an intriguing, fully realized world

  Lori M. Lee, author of Forest of Souls

• An absolute knockout

  Nicolás Obregón, author of Unknown Male

• An amazing genre-bending debut

  David Jackson, bestselling author of The Resident

• A distinctive, intriguing, immersive debut

  Mari Hannah, multi-award winning author of Without a Trace

• Marques sets Lisbon alight with this beautifully drawn thriller. Gifted detective Isabel Reis is everything we want from our protagonists – original and compelling, unique and fascinating. A story that’ll leave you red-eyed and sleep deprived, The Colours of Death is a bold, compelling police drama a step beyond the ordinary with writing to match

  Helen Fields, bestselling author of The Shadow Man

• The Colours of Death is that rarest of things, a completely original crime novel. It’s also a bit brilliant, and I as much inhaled it as read it

  W. C. Ryan, author of A House of Ghost

• Stigma and paranoia loom large in Marques’s beautifully realised alternate Lisbon. Isabel’s predicament is an intriguing, and paradoxical one – it’s isolating to hear the thoughts of everyone around you. A vivid, fast-moving mystery

  Kate Mascarenhas, author of The Psychology of Time Travel

• The Colours of Death is a wonderful, intriguing and original speculative thriller by a sensational debut author. Visit a Lisbon filled with danger, death, and delicious food. You won’t regret it

  Alexandra Benedict, author of Braided Hearts

• Patricia Marques debut takes the classic crime novel and the evocative setting of Lisbon, and utterly transforms both with a fascinating speculative twist. Pacy, immersive and brain-shiveringly clever. A brilliantly original crime story

  Philippa East, author of Safe and Sound

• A brilliantly inventive and twisty tale

  Claire McGowan, bestselling author of The Push

• A brilliant read. The premise and characters are intriguing, the story completely compelling – I couldn’t put it down – and I loved the beautifully depicted setting of Lisbon

  Debbie Howells, bestselling author of The Bones of You

• Breathtakingly original, and a captivating sense of place

  Val McDermid

• Compelling and original, this glints with freshness

  Daily Mail

• A good detective story . . . intriguing

  Guardian

• Crime fiction with a twist

  SFX Magazine

• A very confident, original debut novel . . . One of the best debut novels that I’ve read this year and Patricia Marques is a writer to watch

  Shots Mag

• This is a novel that will have purists tutting. Until they start reading and allow themselves to be seduced by its setting, characters and deft handling of the underlying idea. Then, like me, they’ll be fascinated

  Express

• A tantalising spin on crime, with a dash of fantasy

  Peterborough Telegraph

• Pacy, gripping, and a fresh as hell blast across the bows of police procedurals

  Adam Simcox, author of The Dying Squad

• A great crime debut . . . a world of division and paranoia brought vividly to life, best enjoyed over a pastel de nata

  The Express