When a body is found stabbed to death in a notorious Newcastle upon Tyne gay cruising area, Detective Inspector Jack Slade of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team lands the case. What appears to be a robbery gone wrong takes a dramatic turn when the identity of the victim is revealed. Slade is drawn into a dark underworld and is forced to seek help from people on the fringes of the Newcastle gay scene, Jack finds himself embroiled in a sinister world of sexual exploitation, missing teenagers and murders. When his unorthodox methods result in the death of a suspect, Slade finds himself suddenly on the outside, shunned by his colleagues and himself a suspect in a homicide. He must uncover the truth about the murders, before he himself becomes a victim. Not for the faint hearted, 'Death Rattle' is a dark and hauntingly realistic tale of corruption, sex and murder, set against the background of a tough Northern city. This debut novel from crime writer and former police detective, David Jewell.