Josh Pachter Books

1st Dent 1985 trade paperback, fine , Ray Bradbury, JG Ballard In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

From the #1, award-winning Flemish crime writer comes an atmospheric, genre-busting crime novel featuring a cop who returns from the dead to track down the serial killer who shot him. In Ostend, Belgium, a killer known as The Stuffer is terrorizing the town, filling his victims with sand and posing them as public art installations. Rafael Styx, a corrupt, middle-aged cop with a bum hip and ties to the underworld, is on the case but lacks leads. To catch the killer before being overshadowed by the ambitious Detective Delacroix, he takes matters into his own hands. A chance encounter with The Stuffer ends with Styx shot in the chest, but his story is far from over—he awakens as a zombie. In this new existence, he discovers he can access a different Ostend, reminiscent of the Belle Époque, where he meets surrealist painter Paul Delvaux, who provides the first clue about the killer. With a renewed sense of purpose, Styx aims to change his ways, catch The Stuffer, and restore his honor. However, his new hunger for human flesh complicates his mission, forcing him to rely on his rival, Detective Delacroix. Even death won’t stop Styx from pursuing his murderer. This complex and compelling thriller is filled with suspense, action, and black humor, featuring an intriguing protagonist and an evocative setting.