Pecking Order - Tapa dura

Rubble lives in a caravan and works on a battery farm. Totally oblivious to the outside world, he spends his days disposing of the sick and injured chickens. But all the while he dreams of a life in the army - despite the fact his numerous applications have been rejected. Then one day a mysterious visitor arrives and sees Rubble's child-like naivety combined with an ability to kill without compunction. Soon Rubble is employed on a sinister secret project. Rubble's only chance of realising how he's being cruelly used lies with the one person he confides in: a fortune-teller working on a premium rate telephone line. But just how disturbing must her caller's revelations become before she is prepared to take action? In this chilling thriller, Chris Simms plunges once again into the darkest reaches of human psychology: what drives one person to kill another? Praise for Chris Simms:'Chris Simms has created a completely new landscape of fear. Driving home on a dark night will never feel the same again.' Denise Mina, bestselling author of the Garnethill Trilogy and Sanctum.'One of the most promising debuts in crime for some time. City Life, Manchester 'Here is a new crime writer who really knows his stuff - a compulsive and compelling read' Publishing News 'Chris Simms' debut novel is not so much a whodunnit but a gripping and gritty whydunnit. [A] compelling psychological drama' Sky Text (2003-06-09)

Chris Simms is a 31-year-old freelance advertising writer. He is married with two small children and lives near Manchester. Pecking Order is his second book. (2003-06-09)