Shadows in the Dust (The Wilson Files Book 2)

A Father's Love. A Dangerous Journey. A Past That Won't Stay Buried.

John Wilson devoted his life to raising Lottie after a devastating family tragedy. Now grown up, she's embarking on an adventure across Africa, unaware that someone is watching her every move—and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

When John discovers the threat, he must confront a past he thought he'd left behind. From the streets of Birmingham to the Cape of Good Hope, the former serviceman faces a desperate race to protect the person he loves most.

A gripping suspense thriller about family, revenge, and the lengths one man will go to protect someone he loves.

Discover a story of buried secrets, old scores, and a father's determination to save his daughter.

Excerpt from the book

Southern Spain – June 2021

They climbed out of the car as the sun tracked its way across the sky. The man slammed the door as the young woman’s steps kicked up dust at the side of the road. His eyes settled on the broken wall, the man remembering the last time he was here, the sound of tearing steel and snapping trees clear in his memory. “This is the place,” John Wilson stated, resting his boot on the loose rocks as he peered into the abyss.

His daughter, Lottie, looked at her father, noticing the expression on his face. And not just the expression. The woman spied more grey hairs at his temples, knowing the man who’d raised her was approaching fifty. She knew he was reliving the past, knowing most of the horrors he’d been through. However, seeing him now, Lottie could see that old scars were opening slightly. “How did you manage to roll the van over the edge?”

He sighed, placing an elbow on his raised knee, his eyes never leaving the chasm below. “No idea. I was desperate, I guess. A car could have come past, so I had to get rid of the evidence.”

“Jeez,” Lottie exclaimed. “How deep is it?”

“No idea,” her father replied. “I looked at it on Google Earth. It’s impenetrable. There’s a track in there somewhere that comes out a few kilometres up the road. That’s all I know.”

“Shall we take a look?”

He looked at her, seeing his daughter’s inquisitive expression. He’d raised her almost singlehandedly, Lottie’s mother dying when she was just a little girl. John had been serving his country, getting the call he’d never expected. He’d always expected his wife to receive the call, some high-ranking army official telling her that Captain John Wilson had lost his life, fighting for Queen and country. Looking at Lottie now, John could see his wife, the dimples on her cheeks and freckles that adorned her nose. He smiled, shaking his head. “Let’s not. The old man has had enough adventures, and I’m not sure the hire car would make it out of there.”

She nodded, looking back over the lip of the chasm. “I’m glad you got him, Dad.”

“So am I, although he nearly got me first,” John replied, remembering the fight that had ensued minutes before he’d sent the van crashing into the hidden depths of the Andalusian countryside. The fight of his life – one that John had dreamed about for nearly fifteen years. In truth, it had played out differently from how he’d imagined. It wasn’t Hollywood. It was clumsy, dirty, more like two schoolboys rolling around in the playground. Except his foe was armed, John remembering the blade that nearly opened him up before he’d finished the job, once and for all.