‘A formidable newcomer to British crime writing’ Daily Mail‘Outstanding’ Stephen BoothA gripping thriller set in the atmospheric Peak District, perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Broadchurch and Happy Valley***‘She was running towards the gorge. The place the locals call Dead Girl's Drop…’DI Meg Dalton isn’t prepared for her latest case. A ten year old girl is found running through the woods, barefoot and wearing only a blood-soaked nightdress. She has no memory of what happened to her, but her father is found stabbed to death in their nearby house.At first, Meg blames an intruder – but why had the girl's murdered father been so obsessed with the creepy statues in the woods, and with the girl's recent heart transplant?Meg's investigation leads her down a chilling path. The girl has been having nightmares, and seems to remember things that happened to her heart donor. Who was the donor and what happened to them? Could this have anything to do with the murder of the girl's father?Meg is forced to question her deepest beliefs to discover the shocking truth before the killer strikes again…
Shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger AwardThe Times Crime Book of the Month, April 2018‘A fascinating debut’ The Sunday Times‘A touch of Agatha Christie, a dash of Ann Cleeves’s Vera and a suitably moody setting in the Peaks…bring a formidable newcomer to British crime writing.’ Daily Mail***A SHOCKING DEATHA lawyer is found dead in a Peak District cave, his face ribboned with scratches.A SINISTER MESSAGEAmidst rumours of a local curse, DI Meg Dalton is convinced this is cold-blooded murder. There's just one catch – chiselled into the cave wall above the body is an image of the grim reaper and the dead man's initials, and it's been there for over a century.A DEADLY GAME As Meg battles to solve the increasingly disturbing case, it's clear someone knows her secrets. The murderer is playing games with Meg – and the dice are loaded…A white-knuckle crime debut introducing DI Meg Dalton, perfect for fans of Broadchurch and Happy Valley.