The Crucifixion Killer is stalking Glasgow, leaving victims’ mutilated bodies in a Christ-like pose. DCI Alan McAlpine – a renowned and successful police officer – is drafted in to lead the hunt, supported by local officers DI Anderson and DS Costello.

But the past holds horrific memories for McAlpine. He last worked this beat some twenty years earlier, when he was assigned to guard a woman – nameless and faceless after a sadistic acid attack – at a Glasgow hospital. An obsession was born at that hospital room that has never quite left McAlpine…and now it seems to be resurfacing. For a reason.

As the chase to halt the gruesome murders intensifies, so Anderson and Costello find chilling cause for concern uncomfortably close to home…

“Dark, vivid and daring.”  Val McDermid

“This is a very sophisticated and competent first novel…at once humane, horrifying and exciting.” Literary Review

“The terrific cast of characters keep the action and detection compelling.”  Time Out

“A thrilling crime read.”  Daily Telegraph

“A cracking debut.”  The Mirror

“Ramsay handles her characters with aplomb, the dialogue crackles and the search for the killer has surprising twists and turns.  A most auspicious debut.”  Peter Gutteridge, The Observer

“Edgy and fast-paced, this crime thriller is a cleverly understated page-turner…Deliciously dark, this well-written debut will leave you wanting more” Claire Snewin, Women

“Caro Ramsay’s first novel is a classy example of the genre” Ella Stimson, The Londoner

“Absolution is among the year’s best literary thrillers. Based on this first effort, we have reason to expect more good things from Caro Ramsay of Glasgow.”  The Washington Post

“This is a smart debutante in the gory crime genre and should hook crime readers.”  The Bookseller

“This dark gritty urban drama beautifully captures the windy and chilly streets of Glasgow…The novel certainly holds its own among the best of other works of this genre; on every page the dialogue crackles, the language always remains crisp and fresh, and the details of the murder case sharp and keenly observed ” Curledup.com

“Absolution is an impressive first crime novel…In spite of a number of murders, suicides and accidental deaths this book makes good reading. As Ramsay says she prefers writing about the aftermath of violence rather than the violence itself. I look forward to reading more of her novels.” Rosemary Brown, Mystery Women