Described as doing ‘for Edinburgh what the great mistress of domestic macabre Ruth Rendell did for North London’ Mary Paulson-Ellis’s highly-praised debut The Other Mrs Walker is a twistingly entangled detective story with a difference. We sent Waterstones’ Angie Crawford in search of the mastermind behind the mystery to talk about clues to the lost and lonely, intricate plotting and Tunnocks Teacakes.

Daniel Cole, author of hard-hitting debut Crime thriller Ragdoll, is no stranger to a crime scene. Working as a paramedic for three years helped Cole’s writing develop not only its pace and urgency but also the kind of black humour that Cole says “comes from the emergency services jobs – the coping mechanism”. The first part in a series featuring controversial Met Police detective, William (Wolf) Fawkes, Ragdoll is a twisted game of cat and mouse against a ruthless and bloody serial killer whilst the clock is ticking. As we welcome a key new voice in crime writing, we present an exclusive short story by Daniel Cole from a moment on the brink of emergency.