NIGHTHAWKING

Russ Thomas/Simon & Schuster

Following on from Firewatching, this is the compelling second book in the DS Adam Tyler series, a cold-case Line of Duty with a gay detective central character. One night, someone scales the wall of Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens, searching for something valuable in the grounds. What they unearth is a human hand. In their mission to find the murderer, Tyler and his colleague DC Mina Rabbini are drawn into the secretive world of nighthawkers: treasure-hunters who operate under cover of darkness. Despite it feeling like Thomas has thrown in one too many sleights of hand in the final reveal, this is a cracking book. Should be adapted for telly. 29 April