DI Jack Brady

Who killed Sophie Washington? Early one cold November morning in the run-down seaside resort of Whitley Bay, the body of a young girl is discovered. Found abandoned five minutes walk from her home, her face has been mutilated beyond recognition. DI Jack Brady, just back on active duty after recovering from a vicious shooting incident, is on the edge.

In the 1970s, a terrifying serial killer stalked the streets of Tynemouth. The press called him the Joker. The crimes stopped - but the man was never caught. And now he's back. A body has been found in a sleazy motel room, murdered in exactly the same way as the Joker's first victims. Is it a copycat? A trick? Or is the Joker at work once more? It's only DI Jack Brady's first day back - and this will be his most twisted case yet.

How do you catch a killer when no one knows he's out there? How can you be saved when no one knows you're lost? No one knew about the Puppet Maker...until DI Brady found what remained of his victims. The murderer never meant them to be found. They are his private collection: each body identical, each...altered. Brady knows that now his secret is out, the killer will destroy the evidence - including his latest captive. He must find a man who has hidden the worst of crimes for over 20 years. And whose nameless victims were never even missed....