Meating Room — Frank Muir / T. Frank Muir

“[The initial crimes] are only the tip of the iceberg as DCI Andy Gilchrist of the Fife Constabulary follows a dark and bloody trail of mayhem.” -- Kirkus Reviews.
 
When Thomas Magner's business partner is found dead in his car on the outskirts of St. Andrews, all evidence points to suicide. Meanwhile Magner, a wealthy property developer, is under investigation for a series of alleged rapes almost thirty years ago. In total, eleven women are prepared to go to court to testify against him, but one by one they withdraw their complaints until only six remain. With the procurator fiscal now reconsidering her case, one of the remaining accusers is found brutally murdered in her home. Even though Magner's alibi is rock solid, DCI Andy Gilchrist is convinced he is somehow responsible. But as Gilchrist and his sidekick DS Jessie Janes dig deeper, they begin to expose Magner's murky past and uncover a horrifying secret that has lain dormant for decades. Was Magner a serial rapist in his youth? Or was he something much worse? 
 
Praise for the DCI Gilchrist series:
 
“A truly gripping read, with all the makings of a classic series.” -- Mick Herron CWA Gold Dagger award�"winning author of the Slough House series
 
“Everything I look for in a crime novel.” -- Louise Welsh, author of The Cutting Room
 
“Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St. Andrews on the crime fiction map.” -- Daily Record
 
“A simply riveting read from cover to cover, The Meating Room clearly showcases author Frank Muir's complete mastery of the genre.” -- Midwest Book Review