Broken Arrow

The discovery of a disinterred corpse at one of Andalusia's Spaghetti Western theme parks begins Danny Sanchez on an investigation that will put all that he holds dearest on the line, as he brings to light an act of unimaginable selfishness that will have ramifications for thousands. …

Danny begins the story on the trail on a brutal killer who burns his first victim alive, but as the plot unfolds, he begins to realise the true motives behind the killer's actions and to question whether the man he is tracking is the true villain. The story draws on Pritchard's own journalistic experience to present a vivid and realistic portrayal of the way in which Danny draws together the documents and interviews he needs to prove his story. Meanwhile, Danny's obsessive quest to uncover the truth causes him to place not only his own life at risk, but also those of Marsha, his girlfriend, and his photographer friend, Paco Pino. This leads to a breakdown in all the relationships which Danny most values.

Broken Arrow is Pritchard's third novel and combines his fast-paced prose style and subtle characterisation with a meticulously researched plot. The book is based around a real life accident in 1966, in which the American air force dropped three H-bombs onto southern Spain and contaminated hundreds of acres of arable land with plutonium dust. The narrative moves with a Chandleresque efficiency and there are many twists to the plot, but all are credible. Matthew Pritchard keeps his readers guessing until the end.