The Kindred Killers

Jake Boulder’s help is requested by his best friend, Alfonse, when his cousin is crucified and burned alive along with his wife and children.

As Boulder tries to track the heinous killer, a young woman is abducted. Soon her body is discovered and Boulder realises both murders have something unusual in common. 

With virtually no leads for Boulder to follow, he strives to find a way to get a clue as to the killer’s identity. But is he hunting for one killer or more?

After a young couple are snatched in the middle of the night the case takes a brutal turn. When the FBI is invited to help with the case, Boulder finds himself warned off the investigation.

When gruesome, and incendiary, footage from a mobile phone is sent to all the major US News outlets and the pressure to find those responsible for the crimes mounts. But with the authorities against him can Boulder catch the killer before it’s too late?

"This is a brilliant read. Brutally fast paced, socially relevant and full of gripping plot twists. The characters are well developed and complex with a real sense of presence on the page. I still adored Jakes mother and this time there was a little bit more background into some of their family secrets which then gave an added edge to what we already knew about Jakes past." - Jo Robertson

"I am shocked and devastated after reading Kindred Killers – the second thriller featuring Jake Boulder. The murders are brutal and horrific, the reason why makes your teeth clench and you do not know whether to cry or be furious. I started reading the book late at night, just before midnight and trust me, that example should not be followed. You cannot go to sleep with those images burned into your mind and the only thing you can do is keep on reading this engrossing and gripping thriller and hope Jake catches the killer" - Caroline Vincent

"An absolutely brilliant read. Mr Smith ensures the reader knows and feels a connection with each and every murder victim and their loved ones. My heart was broken time and time again. What I wouldn't give to have Jake and Alfonse in my corner. What a partnership those two make. I thoroughly enjoyed making their acquaintance. The chief of police was also an excellent character, and I was very taken with the concept of him working with Jake, having respect for a 'civilian' and appreciating everything that he and Alfonse had to offer to the investigation. I am delighted to recommend this well written, beautifully constructed and executed story. I will certainly be looking out and reading everything and anything Mr Smith has written ." - Amazon Reviewer

"The Kindred Killers is a seriously great follow up to what is already set to be a brilliant series. It’s one of those books that thrilled and excited me and that left me desperate to talk about it with other readers. For me that really is the sign of a great book. Can not wait for the next book now as the author has truly shown he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to writing crime books. " - By The Letter Book Reviews

"This was incredibly fast paced, an electrifying read with more thrills than my poor heart could handle. Since Boulder is not bound by the law he’s able to chase leads in exciting ways, really get down and dirty and is one of my favorite aspects of this series. Smith is such a unique storyteller with a strong voice, I cannot wait to see what happens in book three!!" - Novel Gossip

The Kindred Killers is a book I look back on with fondness for the oddest of reasons. When researching certain aspects of the books, I stumbled upon several fascinating websites regarding the execution of people in historical times. Some of the methods used were horrific in their brutality while all were inventive in the way they punished the alleged criminals. Naturally as a writer of dark crime fiction, I have one foot in the ghoulish things humans can do to each other and the other firmly rooted in the macabre.

All of this let me make merry with the kills in the novel, although I made a conscious decision not to glorify the methods used to dispatch the victims, and kept the worst kills off the page so as not to horrify readers with gratuitous gore for the sake of it.

While writing The Kindred Killers, I found myself faced with several challenges, the biggest of which was finding there were more similarities with Watching the Bodies than I was comfortable with. This led to a restructuring of the plot midway through. 

As I wrote without an outline at the time, I found myself 80,000 words in before I came up with a plausible way that Jake could find himself confronting the killers. Considering the novel would ideally finish around 90,000 words this was rather a sticky problem until I had one of those incredibly rare flashes of inspiration. 

As this had happened to me before with other novels, I knew the answer would always be there, seeded into the narrative by my subconscious and only revealed when the cold sweats of dread at not knowing how to finish a story were about to trickle down my back.

Fortunately the ending came together and Watching the Bodies had a sequel.