From the critically acclaimed novelist comes BLOOD RIVAL, a bold reimagining of the Oedipus myth, set in British gangland, where a random act of violence sparks a deadly man hunt and a secret that could destroy everything.
Perfect for Fans of The Young Team and Layer Cake
It happened at a place where three roads meet.
At Junction 1A of the M25, heading east towards Gravesend. A savage act of road rage leaves Lee Royle, the feared “King of Kent” dead. But was it a random attack, or a premeditated move in a deadly game of betrayal and revenge?
As shockwaves ripple through the criminal underworld, three lives are set on a collision course: Jo Royle, Lee’s disillusioned and embittered wife, hiding secrets that could kill; Eddie Pierce, Jo’s ambitious new lover, determined to move up the criminal ranks, whose obsession with her threatens to consume him; and Commander Ray Spinks, a corrupt cop with his own claim on Lee’s legacy — and no intention of letting it slip through his fingers.
Caught between lust and loyalty, ambition and guilt, each of them will risk everything to uncover or bury the explosive truth behind Lee’s death. Because this wasn’t just a murder. It was a reckoning.
Blood Rival is a neo-noir reimagining of Greek tragedy, a compulsive psychological thriller steeped in forbidden desire, family secrets, and fatal ambition.
Meet The Author:
Jake Arnott is an award-winning novelist whose bestselling debut The Long Firm was a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year” and was adapted as a BAFTA award-winning BBC TV drama series starring Mark Strong and Sir Derek Jacobi.
His second novel, He Kills Coppers was made into a critically acclaimed ITV1 series, starring Rafe Spall and Kelly Reilly. Along with his third book, truecrime, this trilogy was awarded the Crime Writers Association “Dagger in the Library”. His subsequent novels include Johnny Come Home, Devil’s Paintbrush, The House of Rumour and The Fatal Tree.
Talking Points: Family Secrets & Deception |Retelling Greek Myths| Generational Reckoning & Legacy | Crime & Corruption| Paranoia & Guilt | Identity | Transformation | Gangland Noir
October 14th, 2025 | Datura Books ISBN: 9781917415149 | £9.99 / $18.99
For press enquiries or to request review copies, please contact Vikki Scott at vikki.scott@watkinspublishing.com
