Her daughter is dying … and a killer with a fetish for body parts stalks London.
As Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke copes with the daily pain of watching her daughter suffer through her last days, she is assigned to a macabre murder case. The mutilated body of a young heiress is found within the London Royal College of Surgeons surrounded by medical specimen jars.
An antique Anatomical Venus figurine is discovered beside the body and Jamie enlists the help of British Museum researcher, Blake Daniel, to look into its past.
When personal tragedy strikes, Jamie has nothing left to lose and she must race against time to stop the mysterious Lyceum before they claim another victim.
As Jamie and Blake delve into a macabre world of grave robbery, body modification, and the genetic engineering of monsters, they must fight to keep their sanity — and their lives.
A story of vengeance and a passion for justice, a psychological thriller with an edge of the supernatural.
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Reviews
“One of the most original mystery/thrillers that I’ve read in a long while. Its topic of life and death, soul and body is harrowing and poignant, shocking and profound.” David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of ‘Murder as a Fine Art' and author of over 40 novels
“A riveting exploration of the dark side of the human heart.” – CJ Lyons, New York Times bestselling author
“In a book which takes the reader on a journey to hell and back, J.F. Penn demonstrates her huge talent for conveying the depths of human depravity.” – Rachel Abbott, Amazon UK #1 bestseller
“Not for the squeamish or faint of heart … It freaked me out and I loved it!” Gillian
“This story eviscerates its readers. It had me hunched over the screen in horror and sitting back in tears within the first two chapters. By the end of the book I was a mess, but what a ride! A meticulously researched and emotionally gripping story created by an author at the height of her powers.” Spineless Reviews
“When Penn's not plucking the reader's heart strings like a mandolin, she's grossing us out with medical/surgical gore, white-knuckling suspense, and intense psychological stress. In other words, Desecration is a great read!” Patrick
“I enjoyed this book very much. I love books that combine gore and the dark past, murder and detective work from a REAL, and emotional, person. Add an element of the supernatural... and that's me in my element for a few hours!” Kay
“It's a combination of a police procedural thriller, a historical tour of anatomy and teratology, and has a dash of the supernatural thrown in for good mix.” Andy
“This was an exceptional story to read. If you like to read novels with depth and superb character development, this is for you. The intricacies of the plot, the setting, the geography, the pathos, the action, everything about this novel is top notch. I’m definitely a Penn fan.” – D. Dobler
“J.F. Penn is a modern day literary magician. Her story telling skills are entrancing.” – Maddy Brinker
“This story is action packed, well researched and emotionally charged – as are all of J.F. Penn’s novels.” – Elizabeth Zguta
“‘Desecration' is a game-changing dark crime thriller. Displaying dashes of Steven King, Gillian Flynn, Chelsea Cain, and Thomas Harris, J.F. Penn weaves a spellbinding tale that is all at once haunting, horrifying, and hypnotizing.” – Eric Praschan
