Karen Sullivan, publisher of Orenda Books, is delighted to announce the acquisition of World English Language rights for Trevor Wood’s The Angel of Death, book three in the DCI Jack Parker series, in a three-book deal negotiated with Oli Munson at AM Heath.
The book opens with a chilling murder – or is it a mercy killing, or someone exercising their own right to die? – and it becomes clear that death is stalking the streets of Newcastle, with signs that these deaths may not be isolated. An anonymous killer is offering the terminally ill a dignified escape. Mercy to some. Murder to others. DCI Jack Parker doesn’t want the case. He has a secret of his own – a diagnosis of early-onset dementia he’s desperate to conceal. But the signs are becoming impossible to ignore. As his mind begins to betray him, the city faces its own moral reckoning. While politicians debate a contentious new law and the self-styled Angel of Death selects another victim, Jack’s world is shaken when the killings are traced to a carers’ support group – one his wife, Helen, has been attending in secret. Yet his deepest fear is also his darkest temptation. Because when his disease becomes unbearable, Jack can’t escape one haunting question: Could the Angel of Death be the saviour he’s been waiting for?
Karen says, ‘I have been following Trevor’s career closely since publication of his superb, award-winning debut, The Man on the Street, and I have avidly read everything he has written since that time. When the opportunity to continue the series arose, I didn’t think twice. Not only is this series whip-smart, tense and utterly authentic, but Trevor tackles an immensely topical issue with great insight, warmth and heart. Jack’s discovery of his own early onset dementia, his confusion, fury, apprehension and determination to protect his family and to do his job despite growing symptoms, is both eye-opening and deeply moving, underpinning a complex investigation that, in The Angel of Death, feeds directly into his own fears.
With his trademark wit and compelling characters, Trevor creates high-stakes scenarios, ticking-clock, character-driven plots and, perhaps most importantly, explores a growing social issue that impacts so many lives, in this case, a police officer and family man who is witness both to his own symptoms and decline, but also the impact it has on his team and his family – and a case that reaches beyond the immediate investigation into the wider community.
This is a riveting, immaculate and intensely thought-provoking thriller, a gripping whodunnit, and The Angel of Death does what all good crime fiction should do: it asks questions, probes societal issues, addresses personal impact and fall out, all delivered in the form of pure, page-turning entertainment. The Angel of Death is Trevor’s best yet, with Jack’s decline and the personal and professional consequences of this profoundly echoed in a shocking case, as a ruthless killer stalks the streets of Newcastle, and it becomes clear that there is more at play than anyone could have imagined, with the assisted dying debate right at its heart. Trevor – and this series – are the most perfect fit for our growing list of superb crime fiction, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team.
Trevor Wood says, ‘I’m absolutely delighted to have joined Team Orenda! I’ve long admired their professionalism, unbridled enthusiasm and support for their writers and their absolute dedication to producing high-quality writing. Their list is like a who’s who of my favourite writers and it’s an honour to now stand alongside them.’
Oli Munson says, ‘I’m so pleased that Orenda will be publishing Trevor and this gripping and timely series.’
The Angel of Death, by Trevor Wood, will be published on 16th July 2026, by Orenda Books, with book four and five in the DCI Jack Parker series published over the following two years. For more information, please contact Karen Sullivan: Karen@orendabooks.co.uk.
