Grittyreads Stories

A fog-choked coastal city. A Black homicide detective who refuses to blink. A killer staging baroque, blood-soaked tableaux that speak in a language of bells, salt, and misdirection. Detective Selene Ward follows a trail carved through church belfries, glasshouse gardens, storm tunnels, and shuttered galleries, reading the killer's ritual grammar while old-money gatekeepers tighten their grip on the narrative. As bodies become instruments and institutions become stages, Selene must cut through the city's curated myths to stop a murderer who believes terror is art-and who knows exactly how to make the powerful look away. Gritty, atmospheric, and unapologetically visceral, this neo-noir thriller delivers relentless momentum, razor-edged imagery, and a protagonist with the steadiness to face what others call unspeakable. ©️ Relle H