Product Description

Paul Wood is trekking with another backpacker in the Annapurna Range of the Himalayas when they find the still-warm body of a Canadian with his skull smashed in and a swiss army knife plunged into each eye. An extraordinarily brutal and unusual crime, except that Paul has seen such a death before. His girlfriend was murdered in Cameroon two years before and her eyes had been mutilated in an identical way.

Another terrible similarity: the local authorities are not interested in investigating a murder of and by foreigners and the crimes are barely reported. And if Paul has been a witness to two murders, how many more victims are there lying in the third world who have not been discovered? Using every means he can, Paul tries to uncover the killer. But it may be someone he knows. And that means the killer could find him first...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #547378 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Publishers Weekly
'In this haunting, suspense debut, Evans takes the reader on a page-turning adventure'

Review
'You're hooked. Evans contrives to slip the necessary specialist net-head detail into the plot without being boring or patronising. He can also pin down a character with a few details deftly brushed in. . . The characters are delightfully delineated by their speech patterns. . . beautifully controlled. . . Not the least satisfying aspect of this pacy thriller for the 21st century is the way things go on happening until the last page.' (The Times )

'A clever interesting read that you can take your time over. One can only hope that this, the first novel by Jon Evans, is not the last.' - (Bolton Evening News )

'A taut thriller . . . He keeps you guessing and leaves you with the uncomfortable realisation of just how plausible all this could be. A real page-turner' (Ms London )

'This is a stunning debut novel from a thriller writer to watch . . . a breathtaking thriller' (Western Daily Press )

'TRAIL OF THE DEAD is engaging, disturbing, and relentless - an impressive debut novel.' (C.J. Box, award-winning author of WINTERKILL )

'An original two-way hunt with moments of real suspense scattered across the wildest reaches of the planet' (Hector Macdonald )

'In this haunting, suspense debut, Evans takes the reader on a page-turning adventure' (Publishers Weekly )

'I was completely gripped. As the plot unfolded, I found myself constantly surprised. Jon Evans's plotting is excellent, and he has obviously travelled widely - all the details are clearly authentic and I found myself interested in the locations as much as the plot. The internet aspect of the story was intriguing, and at the end all the strands were tied up perfectly. I never wanted to put the book down, and I was almost glad I was ill, so I had the chance to read it quickly.' (Emily Barr )

'You're hooked. Evans contrives to slip the necessary specialist net-head detail into the plot without being boring or patronising. He can also pin down a character with a few details deftly brushed in. . . The characters are delightfully delineated by their speech patterns . . . beautifully controlled . . . Not the least satisfying aspect of this pacy thriller for the 21st century is the way things go on happening until the last page.' (The Times )

'In this haunting, suspense debut, Evans takes the reader on a page-turning adventure' (Publishers Weekly )

'An original two-way hunt with moments of real suspense scattered across the wildest reaches of the planet' (Hector Macdonald )

'TRAIL OF THE DEAD is engaging, disturbing, and relentless - an impressive debut novel.' (C.J. Box, award-winning author of WINTERKILL and TROPHY HUNT )

'I was completely gripped. As the plot unfolded, I found myself constantly surprised. Jon Evans's plotting is excellent, and he has obviously travelled widely - all the details are clearly authentic and I found myself interested in the locations as much as the plot. The internet aspect of the story was intriguing, and at the end all the strands were tied up perfectly. I never wanted to put the book down.' (Emily Barr )

The Times
'You're hooked . . . things go on happening until the last page.'

Customer Reviews

Brilliant Gripping easy read
Didn't expect much from this book as picked it up from a bargain bucket in local shop. However it wrecked all my sunday plans to meet with friends. Very easy to read and a fantastic story. The main character is very likeable, an original and exciting serial killer, jam packed with shock and suspense and if that wasnt enough it tickles the travelling tastebuds to as it takes place over four continents. So what are you waiting for order your book now and when it arrives cancel your life for a day, unplug the phone, put a public health quarantine sign on the door and enjoy with no interruptions. Best of all plenty of opportuities for a sequel so if you know Jon Evans tell him to get writing now.

Great first novel
I picked this up last weekend on the cheap in an Asda store and finished it monday night.
I think that the guy like the hero in his book is Canadian and that this is his first solo novel. It's impressive stuff and when he writes about Brits, Kiwis etc it is with affinity and knowledge often missing from American writers.
As a keen walker and half wanabee trail walker myself the setting and cast of the tale resonated but I think even those who never leave the car/bus/tube will still appreciate the tale and how it is woven around the events, locations and characters therein.
It avoids too many ovious plot turns and also anything too ridiculous, whilst keeping up a good pace which dispenses with extraneous detail though still sets the scene.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and it is one of the better books I have read for quite some time. I had been waiting for a new Dominic Martell novel and this filled the space nicely albeit briefly which is high praise from me.

Totally gripping first novel
If you want to feel tired in the morning because you were sitting in bed reading until the wee hours, then keep this book on your bedside table. The story is not only gripping, but also extremely realistic and accurate as far as the Internet-related parts are concerned (the rest too, probably, but I'm no expert in travel matters). Not only is this a hugely impressive piece of work, also the door is left open for an equally gripping sequel with the same potential for spreading it over multiple continents. Well done Jon Evans!