‘Brilliant . . . entertaining.’ ANN CLEEVES

Summer can be murder out on the sun-scorched Yorkshire Fells.

When the body of eighteen-year-old Tyler Prasad is found up on lonely Skye Moss, Detectives Leo Donovan and Shan Young are called in to investigate.

Tyler lies dead in a bone-dry ditch. His handsome face shattered in a brutal attack that leaves Donovan and Young baffled.

They dig into Tyler’s deepest secrets, following a twisty trail that leads straight to Patefield Grange, a luxury country-house retreat across the moors.

The well-heeled guests—gathered for a controversial grouse hunt in the sweltering summer heat—seem respectable on the surface.

But, beneath the façade, dark secrets smoulder. It’s only a question of which was worth killing for.

As temperatures soar, so does the pressure for Donovan and Shan to crack this impossible case.

Before tensions at the Grange ignite, and the body count rises again . . .

Discover a gripping, emotionally charged detective, set against the brooding beauty of the Yorkshire Fells. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Angela Marsons, J.R. Ellis, Val McDermid, and Joy Ellis.

**Cath Staincliffe has been shortlisted six times for the prestigious CWA Dagger Awards.**

WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT CATH STAINCLIFFE:

‘A real knockout.’ Ian Rankin

‘One of the best police procedurals I’ve read this year.’ Ann Cleeves

‘A star in the firmament of British crime fiction.’ Big Issue

‘Mercilessly exciting.’ Daily Telegraph

‘Such a good writer.’ The Times

‘Powerful, complex and utterly gripping.’ Sunday Mirror

‘Ripped from the headlines and totally scary.’ Irish Independent

‘Real suspense.’ The Guardian

‘A swift, satisfying read.’ City Life

‘An absolutely cracking read, fast paced, absolutely believable, I loved this DCI and found myself rooting for her.’ Pinkmouse

‘Good characters and a tangled story.’ Jack

THE DETECTIVES
Detective Leo Donovan is a veteran of the Yorkshire force. A true empath, he’s happily married, but prone to low moods and bouts of arthritis. Compassion motivates him, and a need to see justice done in a flawed world that is seldom fair. Leo’s wayward son drives him to distraction, but working with his partner Shan is a breath of fresh air.

Detective Shan Young is a rising star of Leo’s team. She lands her first case as detective while pregnant. Not that she’s fazed by it. A salt-of-the-earth Yorkshire lass with Chinese heritage, she often feels caught between two cultures — something which makes her appreciate Leo all the more, as a mentor and a friend.

THE SETTING
Welcome to the Yorkshire Dales, an untamed landscape of fells and valleys, waterfalls and ruined barns, deep, dark caves and windswept limestone pavements. Farming and mining have shaped these remote hills over the centuries. But what secrets lie buried beneath the spectacularly beautiful surface?