Blood Sacrifice

About the book

One corpse, three separate identities and a city full of murderers. As the ghetto’s streets run with blood, can Jan Kalisz find the truth?

January 1943. Warsaw is a city of the dead. In the ghetto, the last fifty thousand Jews await their fate but, unlike those who preceded them to the death camps, they are prepared to fight to the end. Jan Kalisz, Kripo investigator and Resistance double-agent, has promised to supply them with weapons. But how will he fulfil his vow?

The murder of a German officer appears to provide an opportunity. For the victim is a man with multiple identities, one of which is a wealthy Jew… The hunt for the murderer draws Kalisz into the chaos of the ghetto, only to find a new, perilous mission awaiting him. SS death squads are not the only enemy the Jews fear. A mysterious figure – known only as the Golem – stalks the ruined streets, spiriting away orphaned children. Can Kalisz track him down before he strikes again?

The chilling second thriller in the Warsaw Quartet by Douglas Jackson, perfect for readers of Simon Scarrow and Robert Harris.

Praise for Blood Roses, book one of the Warsaw Quartet

‘A compelling, evocative story of evil stalking amidst the chaos of war’ Giles Kristian

'A dark, twisting thriller ... Jan Kalisz, Douglas Jackson's police officer hero, is the natural heir to the late Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther' Andrew Taylor

‘A remarkable crime debut … What raises the novel to another level is in the atmospheric evocation of a city in the process of being systematically obliterated by the Germans and brought to life again by Jackson’s pen … Gripping stuff, a series that could develop into something impressive and a goldmine for Philip Kerr Bernie Gunther fans’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time

‘Immensely powerful and vivid .... This is historical crime fiction at its best’ Chris Lloyd

‘The writing is scalpel-sharp, the unrelenting savagery of the Nazi occupation vividly painted… With this book, Jackson will rightfully be regarded as one of the UK’s finest crime writers’ Ben Kane

‘A taut, tense thriller… Gutsy and gripping, this is perfect for fans of Chris Lloyd and Robert Harris’ D. V. Bishop

‘Jackson has created a brilliant mash-up of WW2 thriller and a serial killer chiller, and in so doing brings a fresh perspective to both. Sharp, intelligent writing that makes for a compelling read’ Alison Belsham

'Jan Kalisz is a dazzling addition to the canon of compromised heroes... A thrilling wartime adventure story' Russ Thomas

‘Jackson brings the tension, brutality and paranoia of Warsaw of the period into murderous life. A knife-edge thriller’ Douglas Skelton

'A dark story set against dark times, you practically need a torch to read it' Alec Marsh, author of Rule Britannia

'Jackson has written an utterly compelling novel ... A remarkable piece of work, a fine piece of craftsmanship' Scotsman