Books by Kerry Watts

Jean Angus pours the last of the lukewarm tea into her chipped cup, shivering as she looks outside into the dark night. Her eyes are drawn to a slow movement not far from her cosy farmhouse. She’s not expecting visitors. And as the back door opens with a bang, she doesn’t even have time to shout for help.On a dark winter night, the bodies of Malcolm and Jean Angus lie cold and still in a pool of blood in their kitchen. Detective Jessie Blake is called in to find out what happened to the reclusive pair.Searching the couple’s property, Jessie learns about a vicious dispute with a nearby landowner, Rachel Ferguson, and when Jessie investigates Rach, things come to light that suddenly makes her this double murder's prime suspect.The small Perthshire town begins to gossip about the murders and Jessie’s own past comes back to haunt her, when her abusive ex-husband begins to interfere in her new life. As the town starts a witch hunt against Rachel, Jessie is under pressure to find out what really happened in the farmhouse that night. Because if it isn’t Rachel, then who is the murderer living among them, waiting to kill again?If you like LJ Ross, Cara Hunter and Robert Bryndza, you’ll love this addictive new crime thriller from Kerry Watts. Her Secret Past will have you hooked.What readers are saying about Her Secret Past:‘Just WOW! You know when a book grabs you by the first sentence and pulls you into the author’s world? That! I loved the twists and turns... A definite 5-star read.’ Goodreads reviewer‘The opening has to be one of the openings of the year... It had me open-mouthed... A riveting and exciting read.’ Goodreads reviewer‘Excitement, drama, twists and turns and a blood thirsty and thrilling finale, all of which kept me hooked from page one.’ NetGalley reviewer.Kerry is an Amazon CA Top 10 author and has sold over 15,000 copies across the Jessie Blake series

'Wow!!! What a read. Engrossing, fast-paced...A definite ⿿⿿⿿⿿⿿ from me.' Angela MarsonsWhen revenge is everything, justice is nothingRetired teacher, Maggie Ramsay, is found dead outside her Perth home, the victim of a hit-and-run. An everyday tragedy ‿ or so it seems. While DCI Hazel Todd and her squad look for the culprit, they‿re called to attend the death of loner, Peter King, found stabbed to death in a squalid flat. Two very different victims, two very different deaths. But as Hazel investigates the cases, she finds that both Maggie and Peter are concealing their own crimes. Maggie‿s drunk driving caused the death of a ten-year-old boy a year ago, while Peter has retreated from the world to hide his harmful past. As Hazel tries to find the link between the two victims before another murder takes place, information comes to light that throws the case wide open. It seems that someone will spill blood to take their revenge ‿ and soon, Hazel is in the sights of a psychopath with nothing to lose. An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller that will thrill fans of Stuart MacBride and Peter Robinson. Praise for Death Sentence:'A fiendish central mystery told at a breathless pace and a brilliant final twist. DCI Todd has got it all. Classic tartan noir ‿ a treat for fans of Val McDermid and LJ Ross' P.R. Black, author of The Winter House'A finely honed police procedural with sharply judged characters carrying an intriguing plotline to a satisfying conclusion.' Douglas Skelton, author of Where Demons Hide'Read this in one sitting, because you are on the edge of your seat the entire time.' ⿿⿿⿿⿿⿿ Reader Review‿OH MY! ... so unputdownable with loads of twisty chapters‿ Absolutely brilliant.‿ ⿿⿿⿿⿿⿿ Reader Review‿What a BRILLIANT gripping book‿I love Hazel and her team‿ ⿿⿿⿿⿿⿿ Reader Review‿The plot was fast paced and the characters were believable. I raced through the book‿ ⿿⿿⿿⿿⿿ Reader Review‿Hazel is one feisty lady. The story pulls you in from the first page‿so many twists and turns, I so recommend this series.‿ Reader Review‿An atmospheric and compelling read‿ Reader Review‿I'm loving this series and these characters! ‿ Suspense, intrigue, action, great police work!‿ Reader Review‿I like the dynamics within the team, very good characterisation‿Overall, a very enjoyable read which I would recommend.‿ Reader Review

She lays her baby in his cot - the sound of his quiet breath filling the nursery as she leaves the room. Soon Claire will be fast asleep herself. She won't hear the back door opening or the footsteps on the stairs.When Claire Lucas is woken by her husband asking where their baby son is, she is dazed and confused. When she follows Darren into their child's bedroom, she hears nothing but silence. No baby cries, no cute gurgles. The only thing left in Finlay's cot is his beloved teddy bear. Finlay has gone.Detective Jessie Blake rushes to the family's modern home in the rugged Scottish Highlands. She notices that Darren avoids eye contact, and Claire seems disconnected - unable to account for the last few hours of her afternoon. Jessie knows there's no normal response to losing a child, but something doesn't feel right.Friends rally round the young family, as a search of the narrow lanes and green hills of Moncrieffe begins in earnest. And as helpers battle the wild Scottish weather, Jessie is sure that someone in the search party must know more than they're letting on. Someone must have seen something.As a ghost from her own past comes back to haunt her, Jessie must put aside her own personal tragedy to save baby Finlay. Can she get the people of the small town to talk before it's too late?If you love Cara Hunter, LJ Ross and Robert Bryndza, you'll love this addictive new crime thriller from Kerry Watts. Her Missing Child will have you hooked from the start!What readers are saying about Her Missing Child:¿¿¿¿¿ 'Here is a book to get your teeth into!... This book is vibrant, engaging and interesting… there's lies and affairs, obsession and tested family loyalties… That all makes a really stomping and exciting whodunit… really top-class storytelling… 10/10.' Goodreads reviewer¿¿¿¿¿ 'A totally captivating and addictive read. I loved this book!... Had me totally mesmerised from the very first page.' Booked Up Girl¿¿¿¿¿ 'WOW, WOW, WOW… I read it in one sitting and it kept me reading late into the night… A gripping read.' Goodreads reviewer¿¿¿¿¿ 'I was absolutely hooked from page one… I had to rush back to it every time I had to put it down. An ending you won't see coming.' Goodreads reviewer¿¿¿¿¿ 'Compelling, addictive, surprising at times and overall a great story very well told.' Goodreads reviewer¿¿¿¿¿ 'WOW. Kerry Watts had me on the edge of my seat… I literally couldn't put it down... A must-read and worthy of 5 stars.' Goodreads reviewer¿¿¿¿ 'Kerry Watts delivers a gripping, emotionally intense, page-turning crime thriller… It's almost impossible to put Her Missing Child down.' Goodreads reviewer¿¿¿¿¿ 'Gripping read from start to finish… a great read with lies, secrets, deceits, betrayals and loss. Can't wait for the next in the series.' Goodreads reviewer

Call it mother's intuition, but I knew she was dead the moment she was late home. As I listened to her phone ring and ring, that's when I knew for sure. My little girl was gone. Twenty years ago, Sophie Nicoll never came home from school. Days later her body was found in a shallow grave on a remote farm a few miles from her hometown. Two boys from her school were found guilty. The press called the boys evil. Sophie's family wanted them dead. The judge promised they'd never walk free.Two decades later and schoolgirl Shannon Ross has vanished from a small town in the Scottish Highlands.It's Detective Jessie Blake's first big case since she joined Perthshire Police. Having recently arrived from London, Jessie lives in fear of people finding out about her past and her reasons for moving north.When Shannon's body is found in the river on the outskirts of Inverlochty, Jessie discovers she's not the only one with something to hide. As the small community begins to crack under pressure, people begin to point fingers. And soon, the big secrets hidden within the small town are revealed - with devastating consequences.This shocking crime thriller set in the dramatic Scottish Highlands will have you reading well into the night. If you like LJ Ross, Cara Hunter or Robert Bryndza, you will absolutely love this.