About the Book
One of Ian Rankin’s top ten books of 2021.
‘One of the thrillers of the year’ Scottish Sun
When you have a problem that can’t be solved, you call John Tyler.
Nine people are trapped on an anthrax-infested, government-controlled island off the west coast of Scotland when the door to their decontamination chamber suddenly stops opening.
The only man who can fix the door – the onsite technician – is dead. Was it an accident? Or was he murdered?
On an island populated by an international team of scientists with a military-grade bioweapon readily available, the motive to kill is strong, and death is laced into the very soil…
Strap in tight for this outstanding debut, perfect for fans of Terry Hayes and James Swallow.
Praise for Anthrax Island ‘Uncomfortably well researched and brimming with pace, Anthrax Island is that rare thing: a thoughtful and intelligent thriller. Absolutely brilliant’ M. W. Craven, 2019 CWA Gold Dagger award winning author of The Puppet Show
‘A nerve-shredding thriller packed full of atmosphere and tension from a writer to watch’ Doug Johnstone, author of The Big Chill
‘Anthrax Island makes brilliant use of a unique setting, and at times reads like Agatha Christie by way of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Enthralling’ Mason Cross, author of Presumed Dead
‘Anthrax Island is an exhilarating thrill ride with so many twists and turns that it’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen next. A classic mystery with a contemporary twist, Anthrax Island is a joy’ Chris McGeorge, author of Inside Out
‘Smart, rocket-paced and super twisty this phenomenal debut thriller is like a cross between Jack Reacher, Bond, and And Then There Were None. A real must read!’ Steph Broadribb, author of Deep Down Dead
‘Absolute belter! Seriously, if Hercule Poirot and James Bond had a baby and sent him to the Jason Bourne School for Badasses he would grow up to be John Tyler. Cars, cash, poison, guns, thrills, chills and murder – this book has the lot’ S E Moorhead, author of Witness X
‘A genre-busting debut. It’s like the bastard son of Agatha Christie and Ian Fleming watched The Thing on repeat before bashing out a pacy, locked-room, action-adventure thriller’ Trevor Wood, 2020 CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award-winning author of One Way Street
‘This is a classic British thriller in the best tradition. I thought I had it sussed halfway through, but I really, really didn’t! A real page-turner’ S. G. MacLean, author of the Seeker series
About the Author :
D. L. Marshall was born and raised in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Influenced by the dark industrial architecture, steep wooded valleys, and bleak Pennine moors, he writes thrillers tinged with horror, exploring the impact of geography and isolation. In 2016 he pitched at Bloody Scotland. In 2018 he won a Northern Writers’ Award for his thriller novel Anthrax Island.
Review :
'A nerve-shredding thriller packed full of atmosphere and tension from a writer to watch' Doug Johnstone, author of The Big Chill
'Anthrax Island is so evocative, you feel like you are on the island with the action going on around you. It’s pacy, action packed, clever and full of classic one liners. John Tyler is a fantastic protagonist: flawed, funny and ready for anything. Sure to be one of the breakout books of 2021' Chris McDonald, author of A Wash of Black
'Marshall explodes onto the literary scene with Anthrax Island, a novel of high stakes thrills, compelling mysteries and charisma to burn. With pacey, athletic writing, a unique setting with enthralling circumstances, and a plot that just keeps on delivering, it is mesmerisingly exciting. John Tyler is a fascinating, achingly fresh hero, and if I come across a more thrilling and enjoyable read this year, I'll be amazed’ Rob Parker, author of Far from the Tree
'Fast-paced and action-packed, with a compelling and complicated protagonist, Anthrax Island is a crackingly good read. Twist follows twist as you race through the pages, desperate to work out what's going on. John Tyler is a brilliant new addition to the genre: flawed, funny and heroic - I was rooting for him the whole way. Impossible to put down' Sheila Bugler, author of I Could Be You
'Although D. L. Marshall has created something timeless, something that harks back to the classic days of Alistair MacLean and John D. MacDonald, Anthrax Island is very much a contemporary adventure novel. Uncomfortably well researched and brimming with pace it’s that rare thing: a thoughtful and intelligent thriller. John Tyler isn’t your typical knight in shining armour but he’s all the more interesting for it. Absolutely brilliant' M. W. Craven, 2019 CWA Gold Dagger award winning author of The Puppet Show
‘Marshall cleverly combines a classic action thriller with a twisty locked room mystery to create a roller coaster ride that is 100 per cent more than the sum of its parts – my heart was in my mouth from the first page to the last!’ Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief
'A first class thriller with an international cast of characters led by the inimitable and unstoppable John Tyler. Tense, intriguing and deadly. This debut is going to be huge' Mari Hannah, bestselling author of Without a Trace
'A deadly virus, an unknown killer on an island surrounded by inhospitable seas and a flawed protagonist we can’t help rooting for – Anthrax Island is a cracking thriller from a brilliant new writer' Marion Todd, author of What They Knew
‘A gripping debut thriller with a claustrophobic and highly original setting. It combines the pace and tension of an Alistair MacLean thriller with the unease of John Carpenter’s The Thing, with an engaging lead character and a central mystery worthy of a "golden age" crime novel’ Alex Walters, author of Lost Hours
'Intense claustrophobic locked-room style tension, in as harsh and hazardous a setting as you’ll find, makes for a stunning entrance for the John Tyler series into the ranks of must-read action thrillers' Robert Scragg, author of End of the Line
'Very quickly the reader is trapped along with John Tyler on Anthrax Island, and from that moment on the drama is non-stop. The tension and sense of menace pervades this well-written thriller which hardly skips a beat in ensuring you read just one more chapter to find what happens next... and then one more. The factual basis of this novel ensures it has a credibility from the start and the clever plot manages to surprise the reader while never feeling unlikely. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next John Tyler' Alex Gerlis, author of Prince of Spies
'D L Marshall's first novel, Anthrax Island, combines the fast paced thriller narrative of the old masters like Alistair MacLean or Lionel Davidson with the heightened paranoia and claustrophobia of John Carpenter's The Thing. A cracking read' Martyn Waites, author of The Sinner
‘I LOVED IT! Marshall has an obvious talent for storytelling and expertly blends together the raw ingredients for a cracking adventure story – the whodunnit cast of misfits, the bleak base-under-siege setting, and the old-school rogue spy hero with a modern-day sensibility. Fans of spy fiction will love this. Fans of detective fiction will love this. Fans of thrillers will love this. Bloody hell – everyone's going to love this! I wish I'd written it.’ Russ Thomas, author of Firewatching, a Waterstones Thriller of the Month pick
‘Anthrax Island is an exhilarating thrill ride with so many twists and turns that it's impossible to predict what’s going to happen next. A classic mystery with a contemporary twist, Anthrax Island is a joy. D.L. Marshall has knocked it out of the park on his first attempt and set a high bar for what comes next, and I can’t wait!’ Chris McGeorge, author of Inside Out
‘A genre-busting debut. It’s like the bastard son of Agatha Christie and Ian Fleming watched The Thing on repeat before bashing out a pacy, locked-room, action-adventure thriller’ Trevor Wood, author of One Way Street
‘This is a classic British thriller in the best traditions. I thought I had it sussed halfway through, but I really, really didn't! A real page-turner’ S. G. MacLean, author of the Seeker series
Received via Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGMacleanauthor/status/1413027254221803521 Shared via Slack 8 July 2021
