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Split Second: a gritty, riveting new crime thriller – first in an explosive series!

When a firearms officer kills one suspect and fatally wounds another, a failed body cam and a protected identity should be enough to close ranks. But when Officer X is named – and her link to a victim exposed – Dylan and Mann are drawn into a shocking investigation. A gritty, real-life-inspired new trilogy from Happy Valley advisers R.C. Bridgestock.

‘Fast-paced, gripping and packed with tension’ Chris McDonald

‘Utterly compelling crime fiction, delivered with unparalleled authenticity’ Robert Rutherford

‘Gritty, authentic and utterly heartrending … R.C. Bridgestock tackle the harshest aspects of policing and create the finest authoritative story with genuine humanity. Masters of their game' Graham Bartlett

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What if one moment – one split second – changed everything?

When a firearms officer shoots a suspect dead and wounds another, who later dies in hospital, the official line is that the sun was in her eyes. Her body cam failed. Known only as Officer X, her anonymity is meant to protect her – until a judge releases her name and a media storm erupts.

Detective Superintendent Jack Dylan and DI Charley Mann are called in to determine whether it was a justifiable use of force – or something darker. And when it’s revealed that Officer X knew the victim, and her brother died of a drug overdose linked to the same woman, the case becomes charged with personal and political tension.

As pressure mounts, a vulnerable witness dies and a lost phone surfaces with a photograph and a message that could unravel everything – and reveal the truth about what happened that day.

Split Second brings Dylan and Mann together for the first time, in an investigation that will test their instincts, their loyalties and the limits of justice itself, as both detectives must decide how far they’ll go – and what they’re willing to sacrifice – to uncover the truth.

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Praise for R.C. Bridgestock:

‘Compelling … with a procedural authenticity that few authors can match’ M.W. Craven

‘A cracking story’ Sun

‘Brims with authenticity’ Adam Hamdy

‘Riveting’ Daily Mail

‘A cracking story with an expert's insight’ Howard Linskey

‘A multi-faceted page-turner’ Alison Bruce

‘Rings with a sure touch of insider authenticity’ Adrian Magson

‘Full of red herrings and surprises’ Mystery People

‘Stands out from other books in the genre’ Crime Fiction Lover

‘Authenticity in crime fiction is so strong that you can almost smell it’ Mervyn Watson, TV producer of Casualty, Coronation Street and Emmerdale

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

‘Truly gripping’

‘Brilliant!’

‘I couldn't put it down’

‘Tense and heartfelt’

‘A fantastic police procedural’

‘I was hooked from page one’

‘Brilliant, professional, all-consuming … highly recommended’

**Voted EIGHTH Best Crime Authors of All Time by WHSmith readers**

R. C. Bridgestock

Split Second - Crime Collective Edition

Split Second - August 2026 Crime Collective