A Gift Before Dying: A haunting and gripping crime novel set in the unforgiving Arctic Circle - 'Hypnotically...

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Malcolm Kempt

A Gift Before Dying

Name: A Gift Before Dying
Price: 34.99 AUD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781399829755

A haunting and gripping crime novel set in the unforgiving Arctic Circle - 'Hypnotically good'...

Malcolm Kempt

$34.99

Paperback

In stock
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English

BASKERVILLE BOOKS
20 January 2026

Fiction & Literature; Crime & Mystery; Thriller & suspense

'Hypnotically good ' Lee Child

'One of the finest debuts of the year' Donald Ray Pollock

'A don't-miss-it debut'

Michael Koryta

'A gripping thriller' Ivy Pochoda

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AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, CAN JUSTICE STILL BE FOUND?

After a botched high-profile murder investigation, Sergeant Elderick Cole is exiled to the remote, rugged landscape of Nunavut, a vast territory in the Arctic Circle known for its untamed beauty, frigid temperatures, and endless winter nights.

His bleak existence takes a sinister turn when he discovers the hanging body of Pitseolala, a troubled Inuit girl whom he had sworn to protect. Her death dredges up demons he thought he'd buried along with the scars of a fractured marriage and the aching divide between himself and his estranged daughter.

As Cole's life unravels - and with it, the fragile thread of his investigation - he turns to Pitseolala's younger brother, Maliktu, a fellow outsider. It's then that Cole uncovers what binds them: a singular mission to find her killer.

Against fierce backlash, Cole's overriding desire to redeem just one aspect of his otherwise failed life becomes an obsession - and he's willing to break every rule in his unyielding pursuit of justice and the smallest shred of redemption.

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'A haunting, immersive, moving story-told by an expert, with great authority and emotion' Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist

'There's a river of warmth running under this icy, Arctic thriller, with a big bang of an ending you won't soon forget' Rene Denfeld

'Malcolm Kempt is a brave new author I'd follow anywhere . . . A Gift Before Dying, is ice-cold, yet it still managed to warm my heart by the end' Eli Cranor

'[A] stunning debut . . . It's a knockout' Publishers Weekly, starred review

By: Malcolm Kempt
Imprint: BASKERVILLE BOOKS
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 150mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 340g
ISBN: 9781399829755
ISBN 10: 1399829750
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 20 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Malcolm Kempt worked as a criminal lawyer in the remote Arctic for seventeen years before leaving to write full time. He now lives on the island of Newfoundland. A Gift Before Dying is his debut novel.

Reviews for A Gift Before Dying: A haunting and gripping crime novel set in the unforgiving Arctic Circle - 'Hypnotically good' (Lee Child)

Hypnotically good - instantly immersive, intense, and ultimately inspiring -- Lee Child, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series One of the finest debuts of the year -- Donald Ray Pollock, author of THE HEAVENLY TABLE Rich in atmosphere and relentlessly suspenseful . . . a don't-miss-it debut -- Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of THE PROPHET A gripping thriller . . . Kempt's debut is delivered with insight and authority, pacing and style -- Ivy Pochoda, author of WONDER VALLEY