In the rundown northern town of Unsworth, the only thing the locals can celebrate is a victory by Unsworth Town. Sam Carew, an ex-cop-cum-builder, is starting work with his father, Ernest, on converting Greeside Hall into a nursing home. However, Sam is devastated when his father is found dead alongside Nicola Fulbright, a young working girl. With a large metal pole in his hand, one of the builders, Sean, is caught red-handed at the scene. Unsworth Police, under the critical eye of Detective Inspector Bowman, are convinced that this is an open and shut case. As Sam recovers from the grief of his father's death, he becomes uncertain of Sean's involvement - and his gut feeling is confirmed by information he receives from an encounter with a priest. Sam, now the owner of Carew and Son and amateur private eye, becomes determined to prove Sean's innocence. But as his leads evaporate and his private life collapses around him, Sam is drawn deeper into the seedy and dangerous underworld of Unsworth town. The first in a series, "Mad Carew" is the gripping debut crime novel by acclaimed saga-writer Ken McCoy.