#ADGIFTED  all thoughts and opinions are my own, my favourite genre is murder mystery, but I am trying to step out of my comfort zone too.

THE HITCHHIKER (Detective Jason Smith #29) by Stewart Giles

From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith series.

In the wake of a global pandemic, nobody in their right mind would pick up a hitchhiker.

But what if this hitchhiker is already in your car?

Detective Sergeant Jason Smith has his hands full trying to come to terms with huge changes in his home life, so when he hears about a gruesome double murder, he’s happy for the distraction.

But what he finds in the car, a stone’s throw from his house is beyond comprehension. A man and a woman have been beaten so badly they no longer have faces.

No sooner has the investigation into their murders begun, another victim is taken in her car, and her injuries are much, much worse.

Smith is baffled. And when another victim is murdered he reluctantly agrees to be the face of a public appeal warning drivers not to pick up hitchhikers.

But this hitchhiker is different – this one doesn’t grab a ride by the side of the road, and this one is hell bent on killing until someone says otherwise.

What readers are saying about the Detective Jason Smith Series
I loved all the action packed drama which is gripping and also liked how the killer communicated with Smith during the investigation. – CAROL
I adore this series. Stewart has the knack of grabbing the reader from the very beginning and not letting go. Jason has a wry sense of humour about him which eases the tension in a murder investigation and makes for a more light-hearted read. It’s twisty, it’s clever and it’s captivating. – MISFITS FARM
Stewart is a prolific writer and his books are always gripping, fascinating and a little dark, although with traces of humour. He has a very active imagination. Despite being dark, I find them easy reads and really enjoyable. – MAUREEN

Stewart Giles – Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live. 
In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later. 
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well. 
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results.  I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor. 
The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before. 
The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Website: http://www.stewartgiles.com
Twitter: @stewartgiles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

My Review Omg I’m old enough to remember hitchhiking home many a time,  not something I would ever do now, but at one point in the 80s and 90s it was hugely popular. As ever Stewart Giles carefully weaves in real life events into his stories, so it feels so real, so relevant and current. It’s pure genius, as I swear I know these characters in real life. No nonsense or fluffy, this story is action packed and gut punches you with each revelation. Come for a ride it’s a bare knuckle roller coaster that keeps you guessing and encourages you to hang on to each word and pick apart the meanings. Can you work out how they are all connected, and why. Dive in for a thrilling chase.