Zoya and the Dead Dutchmen

Ukrainian homicide detective Zoya Zozulya has a reputation that swerves from pushing boundaries to outright insubordination. When she crosses the line one too many times, her superiors make her someone else’s problem, dispatching her to Interpol’s Manchester office.

Teamed with Professor Robin Rutherford, a reserved and meticulous English academic, Zoya is thrust into a sprawling investigation: Dutchmen are turning up dead in cities across Europe, the victims of a brutal gangland conspiracy. The body count rises, and so does the danger. Zoya’s unorthodox methods put her in the crosshairs of a killer with a personal vendetta, but she’s not about to back down.

Action-packed, gritty, and full of twists, Zoya’s relentless pursuit of justice will keep readers on edge. She drinks vodka, lifts weights, and fights dirty—but beneath her tough exterior lies a detective who’s fiercely loyal and willing to do anything to protect her team. Whatever the cost.

Throughout, Zoya’s motto is simple: Provoke a reaction and deal with the consequences.

This time her life—and her heart—are on the line.

A fast-paced detective thriller with a razor-sharp protagonist who sparkles with deadpan humour, perfect for fans of gritty crime fiction like Martina Cole, Mick Herron, Oliver Harris and Ian Rankin.

Coming October 31st

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Bio

L.G. Wilder was born in the north of England and raised in the south. At 17, he travelled to the Soviet Union just as the state’s grip on its economy was unravelling. Amid food shortages and long lines for rations, he lost 5KGs of weight but gained fluency in Russian. Over many years living between St. Petersburg and Moscow, he navigated the complex realities of life in Russia—surviving through boom times and economic crashes. He left just before Russia annexed Crimea and watched from afar as the country he loved began gradually to disappear.

After over thirty years in various careers, L.G. Wilder returned to his lifelong dream: writing. Immersing himself in stories populated by characters both real and imagined, he finds inspiration in the extraordinary individuals he’s encountered—on paper and in life. Now based in the South of France, he enjoys this creative life with his daughter, son, and a very stubborn Fox Terrier named Zii.