'Serrailler, Hill's brilliant detective, is the central character in the great writer's crime fiction novels' CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL

Heavy rain falls on Lafferton. As the rain water slowly drains away, a shallow grave - and a skeleton - are revealed.

It doesn't take long to identify the remains as those of missing teenager, Harriet Lowther, who was last seen sixteen years ago.

But a cold case isn't a priority: if Detective Inspector Simon Serrailler is to solve the case, he will have to do it alone.