Nightshade by Stephen Leather

This is the fourth in the Jack Nightingale series of book. This time Jack is investigating the murder of 8 children in a school, for the shooters brother. Alongside of this is the kidnap of a nine year old girl. She was rescued and brought back from deaths door by paramedics. Now anyone who has had any contact with her is dying a truly horrific death. Jack's investigations will take him into the realms of the supernatural and the occult. The further he digs, the more people he is upsetting and soon he finds his life in danger. Can Jack solve both mysteries before anyone else dies?

This is the second Jack Nightingale book I have read and it is safe to say I am hooked! The balance between mystery and supernatural is just right and keeps the reader interested. The pace is fast and although it is quite a long book, the story never flags and kept me page turning until the end. There were two distinct story lines at first but both converged towards the end and everything began to make sense. Jack was again excellent as the slightly battered Private Investigator, who travels the length and breadth of the UK to try and solve the mysteries. I recommend this to readers who have read others in the series but also if you are new. This works well as a standalone or as part of the series.