Crime Fiction The Soho Killer by Biba Pearce

Detective Rob Miller thinks he’s seen it all, but this murder scene takes his breath away.

The victim is bound and gagged, with whip marks on his back. The location is one of the busiest squares in London. The cause of death appears to be strangulation.

Murder or a game gone wrong?

The prime suspect is the victim’s partner. Under pressure from his superiors, Rob makes an arrest despite his doubts.

But another body is found: bound, gagged and dumped in the middle of central London. Again, there are no witnesses.

Now Rob’s on the hunt for a serial killer with a fetish — and a talent for staying invisible.

Then the killer makes it personal . . .

‘Slick, clever and beautifully contrived, this is one of the best police procedurals I have read in ages.’ Brown Flopsy Reviews

‘What a twist at the end. I’d never have guessed.’ Bookchatter Reviews

‘There is a twist at the end that I really didn’t see coming. I had to explain to my other half why I was shouting at my kindle.’ Ebookwyrm Reviews

Biba Pearce recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest thriller, THE SOHO KILLER.

Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?

The character came first. This book is part of a series, so it features Detective Rob Miller and his team from the London Met’s Major Investigation Team. The books are very atmospheric, and have a great sense of place. I knew I wanted to set it in London, and the idea to set it in Soho came to me one day when I met friends there. I was walking through Soho Square in the rain one night before closing, and I looked up at the statue of King Charles II and thought, this is the ideal place to find a body.

Biba Pearce

What attracts you to this book’s genre?

I have always read girtty crime staring with Sydney Sheldon when I was in my teens, and progressing to Robert Ludlum and Ken Follet pretty soon after. These early authors fueled my love of the genre.

What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?

The challenge was to keep the reader guessing all the way through the book, while at the same time laying down clues for the team to follow. I needed to make sure nobody guessed who the killer was, but it needed to be evident enough for my protagonist to work it out in the end.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

This book really takes my protagonsit, Rob Miller, to the edge. It makes him question everything he has learned, the people he relies on, and everything he holds dear. It’s a pivotal moment in the series arc.

Biba Pearce is a British crime writer and author of the Kenzie Gilmore, Dalton Savage and DCI Rob Miller series.

Born in South Africa, Biba lived on the wild eastern coast and explored the sub-tropical forests and surfed in shark-infested waters.

Now a full-time writer, Biba lives in leafy Surrey and when she isn’t writing, can be found walking through the countryside or kayaking on the river Thames.

Visit her at bibapearce.com and join her mailing list to be notified about new releases, updates and special subscriber-only deals.