Bitter Fruit
On sale
25th March 2027
Price: £20
Genre
The crime debut of the year from a sensational new voice in Irish fiction.
‘A hugely accomplished debut novel’ JOHN CONNOLLY
‘Tempest Black is a major talent’ MARK BILLINGHAM
‘Electrifying, audacious and thrillingly perplexing’ CHRIS BROOKMYRE
‘One of the most compelling debuts out in years’ YRSA SIGURDARDOTTIR
‘An incredibly assured debut’ PETER SWANSON
A KILLER WITH A GOSPEL.
On Easter morning, a body is found in the ruins of a church; decapitated, naked, knelt as if in prayer.
A DETECTIVE WITHOUT FAITH.
Detective Lewan Kane is deeply troubled by the harrowing scene: this ritualistic killer hasn’t left a single trace.
A MYSTERY LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
In a quiet corner of Dublin, Ella Lonan is wrestling with her sanity, haunted by disturbing visions – severed heads on an altar, a young woman drowned by a black ocean.
When Kane appears in one such episode, Ella turns up at his office, desperate for answers.
Can Ella’s visions help Lewan catch a killer? Or will they open the door to something even darker than death?
Readers can’t get enough of Bitter Fruit
‘Debut novels this good don’t come along very often’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘A truly excellent read’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘A stunning debut’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘Dark, atmospheric and wonderfully unsettling’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘Remember the name Tempest Black’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘A hugely accomplished debut novel’ JOHN CONNOLLY
‘Tempest Black is a major talent’ MARK BILLINGHAM
‘Electrifying, audacious and thrillingly perplexing’ CHRIS BROOKMYRE
‘One of the most compelling debuts out in years’ YRSA SIGURDARDOTTIR
‘An incredibly assured debut’ PETER SWANSON
A KILLER WITH A GOSPEL.
On Easter morning, a body is found in the ruins of a church; decapitated, naked, knelt as if in prayer.
A DETECTIVE WITHOUT FAITH.
Detective Lewan Kane is deeply troubled by the harrowing scene: this ritualistic killer hasn’t left a single trace.
A MYSTERY LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
In a quiet corner of Dublin, Ella Lonan is wrestling with her sanity, haunted by disturbing visions – severed heads on an altar, a young woman drowned by a black ocean.
When Kane appears in one such episode, Ella turns up at his office, desperate for answers.
Can Ella’s visions help Lewan catch a killer? Or will they open the door to something even darker than death?
Readers can’t get enough of Bitter Fruit
‘Debut novels this good don’t come along very often’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘A truly excellent read’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘A stunning debut’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘Dark, atmospheric and wonderfully unsettling’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
‘Remember the name Tempest Black’ 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
Reviews
Bitter Fruit by Tempest Black is one of the most compelling debuts out in years. It ticks all the right boxes for lovers of quality crime fiction, the prose, the characters and last but not least the gruesome murder case at hand leave nothing to be desired. I for one will be following this author from now on.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo meets True Detective in this debut that is both brutal and beautiful. With lush prose that delves deep into the country's wilderness and a tight, well-crafted investigation that probes a killer's psyche, Tempest Black conjures an eldritch Ireland that is uniquely her own. Mark my words, Black is more than a writer to watch - she's one to follow
A seriously impressive debut with beautifully written, superbly drawn characters and a cracking plot that really made me think
A tense, immersive, and deeply satisfying debut
An atmospheric, multi-layered, twist-filled mystery led by two compelling protagonists, Bitter Fruit is a strikingly ambitious debut novel that will win Tempest Black many fans.
Chilling, suspenseful but also deeply moving. Bitter Fruit is one of the most astonishing debut novels I've read in a very long time. Tempest Black is a major talent
Dark, clever, and deliciously unsettling, Bitter Fruit hooked me from the first page and never let go. Tempest Black delivers a brilliantly atmospheric crime thriller full of unforgettable characters, unexpected warmth, and a mystery you can sink your teeth into
Electrifying. An audacious and thrillingly perplexing mystery that skilfully unveils its many secrets layer by intricate layer
Few writers manage to pull off such an accomplished debut. Bitter Fruit is particularly heavy on atmosphere. A compelling read
I devoured Bitter Fruit! Haunting and mystical, yet also hard-hitting and brutal with a terrific cast of characters, echoes of James Lee Burke and John Connolly which is remarkable for a debut. I have no doubt that DI Lewan Kane is destined for Rebus-like fame!
I'm not sure what I loved most: the eerie atmosphere, the mysterious symbolism, the compelling characters, the delightfully satisfying piecing together of the puzzle, and all done with masterful control. Bitter Fruit is simply stunning
This incredibly assured debut by Tempest Black is great stuff, anchored by a disturbing mystery and suffused with atmospheric dread. Vivid, compelling and creepy
Unusual, intriguing, unsettling - a hugely accomplished debut novel
