“Hypnotically good—instantly immersive, intense, and ultimately inspiring.”—Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
“If you only read one mystery this year, this should be it.”—Booklist, starred review
In a hauntingly atmospheric novel set against the unforgiving landscape of the Arctic Circle, a disgraced police investigator discovers that his path to redemption is paved with ice—and blood.
After a botched high-profile murder investigation, Corporal Elderick Cole is exiled to the remote, rugged landscape of Nunavut, a vast territory in the Arctic Circle known for its untamed beauty, frigid temperatures, and endless winter nights. With his family having severed all ties, Cole waits out the result of a civil lawsuit alone—the wrong verdict could end what’s left of his flailing career.
His bleak existence takes a sinister turn when he discovers the hanging body of Pitseolala, a troubled Inuit girl whom he had sworn to protect. Her death dredges up demons he thought he’d buried along with the scars of a fractured marriage and the aching divide between him and his estranged daughter.
As Cole’s life unravels—and with it, the fragile thread of his investigation, he turns to Pitseolala’s younger brother, Maliktu, a fellow outsider. It’s then that Cole uncovers what binds them—a singular mission to find her killer.
Against fierce backlash, Cole’s overriding desire to redeem just one aspect of his otherwise failed life becomes an obsession—and he’s willing to break every rule in his unyielding pursuit of justice and the smallest shred of redemption.
About the Author
Malcolm Kempt worked as a criminal lawyer in the remote Arctic for seventeen years before leaving to write full-time. He now lives on the island of Newfoundland.
Praise For…
“Hypnotically good—instantly immersive, intense, and ultimately inspiring.”—Lee Child
“This extraordinary, beautifully crafted debut mystery blends together an arresting setting, a background of systemic social net failures in an Indigenous community, and a spiky police procedural . . . If you only read one mystery this year, this should be it.”—Booklist, starred review
“One of those crime novels where, once you read the opening scene, you’ve got no choice but to fall through the rest as fast as possible.”—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
“A Gift Before Dying announces Malcolm Kempt as the new guy in town. A gripping thriller—both serious and propulsive, Kempt’s debut is delivered with insight and authority, pacing and style and is sure to win him fans on both sides of the border.”—Ivy Pochoda, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller and author of Sing Her Down
“Rich in atmosphere and relentlessly suspenseful, A Gift Before Dying is a don’t-miss-it debut. Kempt conjures his frigid, dark world with graceful prose and haunting imagery that recalls the best of Jo Nesbø and Henning Mankell. If you enjoyed True Detective: Night Country, you’ll be overjoyed by this story. I can’t wait to see what Kempt does next.”—Michael Kortya, New York Times bestselling author of An Honest Man
“A Gift Before Dying is a haunting, immersive, moving story—told by an expert, with great authority and emotion. Keep an eye on Malcolm Kempt—one of my favorite voices in contemporary dark fiction.”—Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist
“It’s a testament to Malcolm Kempt’s talent that I didn’t want his ghostly crime novel to end. A Gift Before Dying is sure to be considered one of the finest debuts of the year.”—Donald Ray Pollock, author of The Devil All the Time
“There’s a river of warmth running under this icy, Arctic thriller, with a big bang of an ending you won’t soon forget. Hold on tight, because A Gift Before Dying will grip you until the last page.”—Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder
“Malcolm Kempt is a brave new author I’d follow anywhere. Set in the Arctic Circle, his illuminating debut, A Gift Before Dying, is ice-cold, yet it still managed to warm my heart by the end.”—Eli Cranor, author of Ozark Dogs
“[A] stunning debut . . . From the opening pages, Kempt’s remarkably assured narrative evokes a mythic atmosphere, and the author, who spent years living in the Arctic, infuses his haunting tale with vivid sensory details that bring the frigid landscape to life. It’s a knockout.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“With its gripping opening, exciting climax, powerful sense of place and eerie, nicely unforced mysticism, this is a strong debut. A terrific, permafrosted mystery you may want to read with gloves on.”—Kirkus Reviews
