Malicious Intent by Kathryn Fox
In Kathryn’s Own Words
“The title was inspired by the Dalai Lama, of all people!
I met him when I was sixteen and wondered what would happen if someone else with the same charisma, charm, intelligence and wit had malicious intent.
The story involves a manipulator who targets women with varying degrees of vulnerability.
In Italy, it was retitled L’ Incantatori, which means, ‘The Enchanter’.”
More about Malicious Intent
Dr Anya Crichton, a pathologist and forensic physician, finds work is sparse for the only female freelancer in the field. Between paying child support, a mortgage and struggling to get her business off the ground, Anya can’t yet afford to fight her ex-husband for custody of their three-year-old son, Ben.
After her expert evidence helps win a high-profile court case, Anya is asked by lawyer Dan Brody to look into the drug overdose of a young Lebanese girl. While investigating, Anya notices startling coincidences in a number of unrelated suicides she’s been asked to examine by friend and colleague, Detective Sergeant Kate Farrer. All the victims disappeared for a period of time, before committing suicide in bizarre circumstances. As Anya delves deeper, the pathological findings point to the frightening possibility that the deaths are not only linked, but part of a sinister plot. One in which Anya is unwillingly immersed…
Reviews
‘MALICIOUS INTENT will keep you gripped from start to finish. Author Fox displays the deft hand of a natural writer, whether she’s weaving her break-neck plots, imparting fascinating medical and police procedural details or breathing life into her characters – both good and bad. What a compelling new talent!’
JEFFERY DEAVER, author of THE BONE COLLECTOR and THE VANISHED MAN
‘Kathryn Fox has created a forensic physician who readers of Patricia Cornwell will adore. MALICIOUS INTENT is chock full of interesting information and also has several nifty twists and turns.’
JAMES PATTERSON, author of 3rd DEGREE
‘Simply delicious, a feast of the unexpected…Kathryn Fox skilfully keeps her reader on the edge of the chair, way past bedtime, with absolutely no chance of going to sleep.’
Partners in Crime
‘Move over Kay Scarpetta, Temperance Brennan and Sam Ryan – Dr Anya Crichton is moving in on your patch. Fox…knows her stuff – and it’s that very veracity that gives MALICIOUS INTENT its biting edge.’
Focus Magazine
‘A finely crafted novel.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘If you’re a fan of Patricia Cornwell you’ll love this.’
Carole Matthews,
BBC radio
‘Fox is stomach-churningly good’
Sunday Mail (UK)
‘Comparisons with Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs are inevitable. Fox holds her own, if not more against the other two.
The Times (UK)
‘The climax is shocking and chilling. If Fox can do this on her debut novel, the future looks bright.’
The Times (UK)
‘A scorching debut full of forensic detail and breathtaking suspense.’
mysterylovers.com
‘Malicious Intent is the most exciting crime fiction from Australia for a long time.’
The Times (UK)
‘Anya Critchon is a likeable personality and the intriguing mystery is notable for its originality… an accomplished debut and a very enjoyable read.’
Sunday Telegraph (UK)
‘With clearly defined characters and a clever plot, Fox manages to provide a very solid thriller, well worth the read.’
Richard Laymon’s official website
‘Fox knows how to write decent prose, create sympathetic characters and pace a thriller, and she keeps the reader turning the pages.’
Australian Book Review
‘[Fox’s] slow build-up of forensic evidence linking all these women is absolutely fascinating and, forensically speaking, MALICIOUS INTENT is top-notch in its genre’
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
‘This is a striking debut from a local crime writer who, in Dr Anya Crichton, has found a pragmatic heroine with a lot on her mind. The interplay between Crichton’s private life and the situation of the women on whose murders she beings to shed light is one of the most engaging features of a finely crafted novel.’
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
‘With so much chaff in bookshops, it is a wonderful moment when you track down something that’s really worth reading. And Kathryn Fox’s first novel, MALICIOUS INTENT, is just that. A forensic thriller, it has just the right balance of pathological detail and tight plotting. Think ER meets CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in suburban Sydney. MALICIOUS INTENT is a fine novel. Gripping from its very first page, it carries you breathlessly through its deftly plotted twists and turns.’
VOGUE
‘MALICIOUS INTENT is, however, much better than anything Cornwell has written lately, and much superior to anything Reichs has ever written. Fox may be a medical practitioner, but she knows how to write decent prose, create sympathetic characters and pace a thriller, and she keeps the reader turning the pages. It’s all very unsettling and deeply satisfying. A new talent to watch.’
AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW