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Meet Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard — burly and blunt. He takes no nonsense from crooks or his superiors.
A blaze tears through a squalid flat in Hafton’s notorious Inkerman Street. Inside lies the scorched corpse of an old alcoholic. At first glance, it looks like a tragic accident—until a sinister poem arrives at the police station, echoing the grotesque verse once sent by a long-imprisoned serial arsonist.
Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard thought he’d laid that ghost to rest twenty years ago. But now another man has died, this time in a near-identical fire. And once again, the poetry arrives—taunting, precise, and terrifying.
As the flames spread and the death toll rises, Blizzard must confront a killer who knows the city’s dark history—and his own—only too well. Is a long-dormant evil waking again? Or is someone using the past to mask their crimes?
Gripping, atmospheric, and laced with tension, A Flicker in the Night is a haunting police procedural where every shadow hides a spark—and any match might be a murder.
DETECTIVE PROFILE: DCI JOHN BLIZZARD
Gruff, sharp-eyed, and unflinchingly direct, John Blizzard is an old-school copper whose instincts are as finely honed as his sarcasm. Based in the northern city of Hafton, he’s weathered decades on the job and isn't afraid to challenge authority or chase justice through the murkiest alleys of the system. A family man beneath the rough exterior, he’s haunted by past cases—especially that of Reginald Morris, the remorseless firestarter he once put away. Now, with a wife and a young son at home, Blizzard fights to keep the horrors of his work from scorching the rest of his life.
SETTING
Hafton is a fictional northern city scarred by industrial decline and steeped in shadows. It is a place of decaying flats, disused factories, and windswept wastelands—where soot-streaked windows and crumbling walls remember every crime. At its heart stands Abbey Road Police Station, a grim warren of outdated offices and damp corridors, where justice is fought for on worn carpets and in worn-down men.
In this case, the fires blaze across Inkerman Street’s slums, a derelict old folks’ home, and leafy suburban lanes—proving that nowhere in Hafton is safe from the flicker in the night.
THE SERIES HAS OVER 7000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent murder mystery storyline, enjoyed the read.” — Kindle Customer
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book, keeps you on your toes, with an unexpected twist at the end. Well worth picking up to read.” — Kerry
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great book. The banter between Blizzard and the team is so good. The way he deals with the cases is really good. A must read.” — Mulli
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another well written and crafted story from John Dean. Lots of action with plenty of twists and turns and an exciting ending.” — Kindle Customer
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A thoroughly entertaining read, with realistic characters who continue to develop as the series of DCI Blizzard books keeps improving. Highly recommended.” — John O
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this writer and this book did not disappoint.” — Sue Armstrong
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a different direction of investigation, looking for a shooter with a list of people to kill, including cops.” — Susan Green
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All of John Dean’s books are good but I love DCI Blizzard! The books are carefully plotted and the characters are well written. I hope there are many more books in the series. I highly recommend this book!” — Elizabeth P.
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very good addition to the DCI Blizzard series. The author has another series that I like as well, the DCI Harris series. No nonsense detective with interesting plot turns.” — J Austen
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Just wasn’t long enough. I like DCI Blizzard and would like to know more about him.” — Zippie 65