Past Echoes

 Jake Boulder is back and he’s tasked with tracking down a man due to inherit a small fortune. Not only that, he must also reveal the secret which forced a young woman to flee New York some forty years ago. The evidence he needs is hidden in a safety deposit box and while Boulder has the key, the only clue he has for box’s location is a series of numbers etched onto the key and a mysterious list of names.

Boulder has his work cut out since he must also locate his estranged father, Cameron MacDonald, so that Cameron can donate bone marrow to Boulder’s half-brother John.

In a game of cat and mouse, he must solve the case and find the two men without alerting those who control New York’s underworld. 

Can Boulder survive against both the mafia and a professional hitman, in what is his toughest case yet?

"This is one hell of a rollercoaster that just kept me glued to my kindle, but it was a roller coaster I didn’t want to end." Claire Knight - A Knight's Reads

"The story itself was very entertaining and kept me gripped throughout the entire book. It seems that Graham Smith has a knack of really capturing the story and ensuring it’s pleasing to the reader." Sean Talbot - Seans Book Reviews

"Graham Smith has a talent for writing characters that are so personable and I do wonder if my emotions can handle much more! A fantastic addition to the Jake Boulder series; five stars from me." Ellen Devonport - Bibliophile Book Club

"Past Echoes is an excellent title for this extremely exciting book that is full of gameplay..." Alexina Golding - Bookstormer

"Another book I could talk about forever…I cannot tell you all the WOW, OMFG and WTAF moments because this is one book you NEED to read for yourself." Noelle Holten - Crimebookjunkie

"I find Graham Smith’s writing to be unique like the work of Karin Slaughter. His prose is completely purposeful and done with taste..." Samantha Ellen - Clues And Reviews

"This is another fantastic cat and mouse thriller. I haven’t been disappointed yet by Smith and his writing – you’re on the edge of your seat for the majority of the book." Jessica Robins - Jessicamap Reviews

"Past Echoes gives you thrilling, psychological drama at it’s best with Jake Boulder, meaner and tougher than ever before." Sharon Bairden - Chapter In My Life

"There were a lot of “OMG!” moments in this book, and I can’t wait to see what Mr Smith has planned for Jake in the next instalment." Danielle Ryan - The Blonde Likes Books

"Raw, evocative and deliciously intense. I loved it!" Emma Welton - Damppebbles

"If it’s possible, the Jake Boulder series is getting even better. This book just grabbed me and didn’t let go until the very end..." Ashley Gillan - (e)Book Nerd Reviews

"Great characters, a fast-paced narrative and an addictive storyline all add up to make this thriller a must read!" Joanne Robertson - My Chestnut Reading Tree

"Smith excels in scenes where Boulder has to face down his adversaries. There's plenty of smart dialogue and great action." Colman Keane - Col's Criminal Library

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was one of those books that you want to read in one sitting, it is fast-paced and full of action!" Donna Maguire - Donnas Book Blog

"I have loved each and every one of these books, I love Graham's style of writing, the knack he has to get the reader involved in the story is first class." Vicki Wilkinson - ILoveReadingUK

I had a clear idea of what I wanted Past Echoes to be long before I put pen to paper (well, fingers to keys.)

Jake Boulder’s, home town of Casperton was too small for me to keep giving him serial killers to tackle. In my mind it wasn’t plausible that a city of twenty or so thousand people would be home to many heinous killers, so I had to find a way to get him on the road, to explore the vastness that is America’s hinterlands and the huge metropolises of their coastal areas.

To this end, I had to engineer a way to get him out of Casperton right at the start of the story and find a way to keep him out of town as the novel progressed and then ended.

To give the biggest contrast I could between the sleepy city of Casperton and the place where Past Echoes would be set, I choose New York as the setting. With its vast skyscrapers, satellite areas like the Hamptons and a stark contrast between rich and poor areas, New York offered me a far more diverse playground that a Midwest city.

In the early pages of the first draft I stumbled upon an idea for a kill that filled me with excitement. It was one which would move the story on in countless ways, create massive amounts of conflict and give me great scope for future Jake novels. To this day – and at the time of writing I have thirteen books published, with three others written and awaiting publication or a home – this kill is the one that stands above all others as my favourite. 

I’ve had readers admit to shedding tears, being shocked, and asking me how could I kill X in such a way?  I must confess that I met all these various response with a small chuckle as the readers’ reactions meant that I had achieved exactly what I set out to with the kills.

I also wanted to have Past Echoes as the novel where we found out more about Jake as a person rather than just have him as the strong silent type. To achieve this I set certain elements at play throughout the novel to not just test his physical or investigative attributes, but also his emotional personality as well.

In the way actors will always say they had great fun playing a villain, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed writing not one, but two heinous bad guys into this story.