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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
Serial killings of teenagers described in graphic forensic detail; scenes from the killer's perspective
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content; the predation occurs online through grooming
Substance Use
Barely any
Moderate drinking
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific vulnerability of teenagers whose online persona is the only version of themselves that gets validation; the clinical adaptation of a predator to a new hunting ground
What this book is about
Teenagers are being murdered across England, lured through social networking sites by a killer who has perfected the art of becoming whoever the victim needs. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan work the case while also working around the reorganization of their unit. Val McDermid's sixth Wire in the Blood novel is her most prescient — written in 2009, it is a detailed prediction of predatory behavior that social media would enable — and one of her most devastating in terms of the victims' stories. The killer's methodology is clinical and perfectly adapted to how lonely teenagers interact online.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
graphic violence against teenagers
sixth of the Wire in the Blood series
online predatory grooming as a plot mechanism
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