In the shadow of London's notorious Bedlam asylum, a killer is using the methods of madness—and the past is about to exact its terrible revenge.

When a prominent psychiatrist is found dead at the Imperial War Museum, Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke is pulled back into active duty after three months of grief-stricken leave. Dr. Christian Monro has been drowned in a "Tranquilizer"—a Victorian device once used on patients at the building's former incarnation as Bethlem Royal Hospital, the infamous Bedlam asylum.

Jamie is still raw from the death of her daughter, barely holding herself together, but this case demands her attention. The murder is too deliberate, too theatrical. Someone with intimate knowledge of psychiatric history has staged this killing in the very rooms where the mentally ill were once tortured. As Jamie investigates Monro's work, she discovers he was involved in dark research—studies that echo the horrific practices of Bedlam's past.

To solve the case, Jamie partners up with Blake Daniel, a researcher at the British Museum who possesses an unusual gift: psychometry, the ability to read objects through touch and experience the visions they hold.

Blake can see the final moments of violence, feel the emotions embedded in the murder weapon. But his abilities come at a cost—each vision drags him closer to the edge of his own sanity, and the traumatic memories of his abusive childhood threaten to overwhelm him.

As the investigation deepens, Jamie and Blake uncover a connection between Monro's death and a series of disappeared patients. The threads lead to sinister psychiatric research, families torn apart by mental illness, and secrets buried in the darkest corners of medical history. The killer isn't finished—and their next target may be someone who can expose a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of British medicine.

A Gothic Psychological Thriller

Set against the haunting backdrop of London's psychiatric history, Delirium explores the blurred line between sanity and madness, treatment and torture. From the Imperial War Museum's blood-soaked past as Bedlam to the sterile corridors of modern psychiatric facilities, this thriller delves into what we do to those society deems "different"—and what happens when someone decides to make the doctors pay.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:

• Val McDermid's Tony Hill series (Wire in the Blood, The Mermaids Singing)
• Sharon Bolton's dark British thrillers
• Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli & Isles series
• Crime fiction set in historic locations
• Flawed detectives dealing with personal trauma
• Partners with unusual abilities solving crimes
• Medical/psychiatric thriller elements
• London crime fiction with atmospheric settings
• Historical horror woven into contemporary mysteries
• Strong female protagonists in law enforcement

Series Information:

Delirium is the second book in the Brooke and Daniel psychological thriller series. While each book features a complete mystery, the characters' emotional journeys and partnership develop across the series. Fans of British crime dramas like Luther and Broadchurch will appreciate the dark tone and complex character dynamics.

Themes & Content:

The novel explores psychiatric abuse, family trauma, and the historical treatment of mental illness. Set primarily in London with rich atmospheric detail of the Imperial War Museum, Harley Street, and the British Museum. Contains scenes of violence and disturbing historical practices.

Story Details:

• Genre: Psychological thriller, Crime thriller
• Length: Approximately 70,000 words / 320 pages
• Reading time: 6-8 hours
• Mood: Dark, atmospheric, suspenseful, Gothic
• Setting: London, England (contemporary with historical echoes)
• POV: Multiple third-person (Jamie Brooke, Daniel Blake, and others)
• Content note: Contains violence, references to psychiatric torture, and themes of mental illness and grief