New Releases by Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again The Mill on the Shore is the seventh mystery novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. Meg Morrissey refuses to believe that her husband James committed suicide. James was in high spirits because he''d finally completed his long-awaited autobiography. He didn''t leave a suicide note. But even more suspiciously the record of his life''s environmental achievement, his magnum opus, has gone missing. Troubled, Meg calls in amateur sleuths George and Molly Palmer-Jones to investigate. They soon uncover that life in the Morrissey family is not as idyllic as it seems - relations with ex-wife Cathy are not as friendly as Meg makes out and James appears to have fallen for another woman. But the disappearance of his autobiography is most puzzling of all. Did he uncover a secret so damaging someone was prepared to kill for it? George and Molly must try to fit together the missing pieces of information to reveal who could have wanted James dead . . .

High Island Blues is the eighth and final mystery novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. Swarms of migrating birds fall from the sky seeking shelter as the spring storms begin, but the birders are distracted by a far more shocking sight: Mick Brownscombe''s dead body . . . Old college friends Rob, Oliver and Mick reunite on a birdwatching tour to America. It is the first time in twenty years the three have been together - since the fateful holiday to America during which they met the enigmatic Laurie . . . The tour party is hoping for spectacular sights at High Island on the Upper Texas coast, but as the rain pours down and the birds descend, Mick is discovered dead. Back in Britain, PIs George and Molly Palmer-Jones are working on a minor fraud case with the name of Brownscombe Associates attached. So when George receives a desperate transatlantic call from his friend Rob, he is on the first plane to Texas. His investigations make little progress - until the second body is found . . .

Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with The Raging Storm, the extraordinary third installment in the Matthew Venn series. Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions. When Jem Rosco—sailor, adventurer, and legend—blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own. This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Venn finds his judgment clouded. As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove’s storm of dark secrets. “A friend of mine once joked that the work of Ann Cleeves is the closest the crime fiction genre comes to evoking ASMR—the euphoric, pleasant, spine-tingling sensation that’s all the rage on YouTube. The books never get too dark, never venture too far into dangerous territory, but aren’t outright cozy, either.”—The New York Times

A classic standalone psychological thriller from Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of the Shetland, Vera, and Two Rivers series''.Abandoned as a baby, twenty-five-year-old Lizzie Bartholomew spent her childhood moving between foster homes and has had more than her fair share of troubles.Now a holiday in Morocco seems to be the perfect escape. Especially when she meets Philip, a fellow tourist. After a brief affair, Lizzie returns to England, only to find a solicitor''s letter waiting for her.Philip Samson has died and in his will, has left Lizzie a gift of £15,000. But there are conditions attached to this unexpected legacy that will soon force Lizzie to confront terrifying secrets from her past life.Burial of Ghosts is a page-turning standalone novel from Ann Cleeves, author and creator of the three astounding TV series: Shetland, Vera, and most recently The Long Call, available to watch on Britbox.

A standalone crime novel from the bestselling author of the Shetland, Vera, and Two Rivers series''. Now available in paperback.Detective Peter Porteous is called to Cranwell Lake where the body of a teenager has been discovered. After trawling through the missing persons files, he comes to the conclusion that the corpse is Michael Grey, an enigmatic and secretive young man who was reported missing by his foster parents in 1972.The news report that a body has been found leaves prison officer Hannah Morton in shock. Michael was her boyfriend - she was with him the night he disappeared. And now the discovery is bringing back dreaded and long buried memories from her past.The Sleeping and the Dead is a compulsive thriller from Ann Cleeves, author and creator of the three astounding TV series: Shetland, Vera, and most recently The Long Call, available to watch on Britbox.

From Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—comes the stunning tenth Vera Stanhope novel, The Rising Tide, a powerful novel about guilt, betrayal, and the longheld secrets people keep. A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller — Soon to be an episode of the hit TV show Vera "Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers."—Louise Penny For fifty years a group of friends have been meeting regularly for reunions on Holy Island, celebrating the school trip where they met, and the friend that they lost to the rising causeway tide five years later. Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . . But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . .

Vera Stanhope, star of ITV''s Vera, returns in the tenth novel in number one bestseller Ann Cleeves'' acclaimed series.Fifty years ago, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island, forging a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Now, they still return every five years to celebrate their friendship, and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion.Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . .

Ann Cleeves returns with a delicious short story featuring DCI Vera Stanhope. Set before The Rising Tide, Vera goes on a day trip to Holy Island, eager to escape the pressures of work. When there she is reminded of the day decades earlier when she, as a teenager, went with her father Hector on another day trip, and the mystery woman he met there . . . Vera already knew then that Hector kept secrets, but this time the fledgling investigator was determined to find the truth, never realizing it would mean taking her first step onto a path to becoming a detective . . .

Poliskommissarie Matthew Venn kallas till en spektakulär mordplats i en konstnärsateljé. Den före detta läkaren Nigel Yeo har huggits till döds med en sylvass glasskärva. Yeo framstår som ett osannolikt mordoffer. Trots det har någon velat honom ont, någon som inte drar sig för ytterligare dåd. Utredningen för Matthew in i en härva av lögner som gör balansgången mellan professionellt och privat allt svårare.

Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with The Heron''s Cry, the mesmerizing second book in the Matthew Venn series. AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “In Matthew Venn, Ann has created a complex, daring, subtle character.” —Louise Penny "A complex mystery full of surprises . . . this character-driven exploration of people''s darkest flaws is a sterling example of Cleeves'' formidable talents." —Kirkus Reviews North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder--Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter''s broken vases. Dr. Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He''s a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband. Then another body is found--killed in a similar way. Matthew soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home. DI Matthew Venn returns in The Heron''s Cry, in Ann Cleeves powerful next novel, proving once again that she is a master of her craft.

''Matthew Venn is a keeper . . . stunning'' David Baldacci The number one Sunday Times bestselling series featuring Detective Matthew Venn, from author and creator of the Vera and Shetland series, Ann Cleeves - soon to be a major TV series. North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder - Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed. His daughter Eve is a glassblower, and the murder weapon is a shard of one of her broken vases. Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He''s a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband. Then another body is found - killed in a similar way. Matthew finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home . . . The Heron''s Cry is the second novel in Ann Cleeves'' Two Rivers crime series, following her Sunday Times bestseller, The Long Call. SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION 2022 Praise for The Long Call ''As a huge fan of both the Shetland and Vera series of books, I had high expectations for Cleeves'' latest. Matthew Venn is a keeper. A stunning debut for Cleeves'' latest crimefighter'' - David Baldacci ''Had me hooked . . . a promising beginning to another fine chapter in the Ann Cleeves story'' - The Times ''A triumph that cements Cleeves'' status as one of Britain''s best crime writers'' - Daily Express ''Clever, compassionate and atmospheric . . . I am already a Matthew Venn fan'' - Elly Griffiths ''Cleeves combines a flair for evoking sense of place with a thoughtful, complex plot'' - Mail on Sunday ''A traditional mystery of the best sort'' - Guardian

A journalist working on a story. Now his murder is a headline. Inspector Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate in Dead Water, the fifth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves. Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall. When the body of a journalist is found in a traditional Shetland boat, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted in to head up the investigation. Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed and he decides to help the inquiry. Originally a Shetlander, the journalist had left the islands years before to make a name for himself in London, leaving a scandal in his wake. He had few friends in Shetland, so why was he back? When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that he was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn''t want to come to the surface. One that must have been significant enough to kill him for . . . Continue the captivating crime series with Thin Air.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! From Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—comes the stunning new Vera Stanhope novel, The Darkest Evening. "Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers."—Louise Penny "As a huge fan of both the Shetland and Vera series of books, I had high expectations for Cleeves’ latest. . . . A stunning debut for Cleeves’ latest crimefighter."—David Baldacci on The Long Call On the first snowy night of winter, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope sets off for her home in the hills. Though the road is familiar, she misses a turning and soon becomes lost and disorientated. A car has skidded off the narrow road in front of her, its door left open, and she stops to help. There is no driver to be seen, so Vera assumes that the owner has gone to find help. But a cry calls her back: a toddler is strapped in the back seat. Vera takes the child and, driving on, she arrives at a place she knows well. Brockburn is a large, grand house in the wilds of Northumberland, now a little shabby and run down. It’s also where her father, Hector, grew up. Inside, there’s a party in full swing: music, Christmas lights and laughter. Outside, unbeknownst to the revelers, a woman lies dead in the snow. As the blizzard traps the group deep in the freezing Northumberland countryside, Brockburn begins to give up its secrets, and as Vera digs deeper into her investigation, she also begins to uncover her family’s complicated past.

Poliskommissarie Matthew Venn står utanför kyrkan i det lilla samhället Barnstaple i norra Devon och betraktar sin fars begravning på avstånd. Samma dag som Matthew vände ryggen åt den strikta frikyrkliga församling han växt upp i, förlorade han också kontakten med sin familj. Nu är han tillbaka i sina barndomstrakter, inte bara för att sörja sin far, utan för att ta sig an sitt första stora fall i polisregionen Two rivers. En man har hittats mördad på stranden nära Matthews nya hem: han har blivit knivhuggen, och han har en albatross tatuerad i nacken. Matthew lägger all sin kraft på att hitta gärningsmannen, och det blir en jakt som tar honom och hans team tillbaka till människorna från förr, och de livsfarliga hemligheter de döljer.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! NOW A BRITBOX SERIES STARRING BEN ALDRIDGE AND PEARL MACKIE The Long Call from Ann Cleeves—bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—introduces the first in the stunning Matthew Venn series. “In Matthew Venn, Ann has created a complex, daring, subtle character.” —Louise Penny "Matthew Venn is a keeper. A stunning debut for Cleeves’ latest crimefighter."—David Baldacci In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. On the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too. Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death. The case calls Matthew back to the people and places of his past, as deadly secrets hidden at their hearts are revealed, and his new life is forced into a collision course with the world he thought he’d left behind.

Helena och Daniel Fleming flyttar med sina barn till den avlägset belägna orten Deltaness på Shetlandsöarna för att få en nystart. Sonen Christopher har autism och föräldrarna hoppas att en mindre skola ska ge honom bättre stöd än han fått på sin förra skola i London. Men familjen märker snart att alla i det lilla samhället inte är lika glada över deras ankomst. Någon skickar Helena små teckningar av en streckgubbe i en snara. Det visar sig att den tidigare ägaren av familjen Flemings nya hus begick självmord genom att hänga sig i ladan på gården. När Emma Shearer, barnflicka hos traktens läkare, hittas hängd i samma lada rubriceras dödsfallet som mord, inte självmord. Inom kort sprids skvallret om hennes förhållande med Daniel som en löpeld, och fallet hamnar på Jimmy Perez bord. Kommer Perez att lyckas hitta Emma Shearers mördare innan familjen Fleming har krossats för alltid? Vild eld är den totalt sett åttonde boken i Ann Cleeves Shetlandserie och del fyra i den nya kvartetten. Cleeves böcker ligger till grund för teveserien Shetland, som sänts på SVT.

From Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—comes Hidden Depths. “Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers.”—Louise Penny On a hot summer on the Northumberland coast, Julie Armstrong arrives home from a night out to find her son murdered. Luke has been strangled, laid out in a bath of water and covered with wild flowers. This stylized murder scene has Inspector Vera Stanhope and her team intrigued. But now, Vera must work quickly to find this killer who is making art out of death. As local residents are forced to share their private lives, sinister secrets are slowly unearthed. And all the while the killer remains in their midst, waiting for an opportunity to prepare another beautiful, watery grave...

CWA Diamond Dagger winner Ann Cleeves’s Shetland Island series has long been beloved both by fans who have been intrigued by Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez from the very first page, and converts drawn in by the brilliant BBC series Shetland. Set in the most northerly community in the UK, the islands have a stark beauty that provides the backdrop for Jimmy’s quietly intense cases. Here together for the first time in a fantastic low-priced eBook bundle are the first four Shetland Island mysteries: Raven Black: Winner of the coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award, Raven Black begins on New Year’s Eve with lonely outcast Magnus Tait. When the body of a murdered girl is discovered, suspicion falls on Magnus, and Inspector Jimmy Perez enters an investigative maze that leads deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go. White Nights: The launch of an exhibition at The Herring House art gallery is disturbed by a stranger who bursts into tears then claims not to remember who he is or where he comes from. The next day he’s found dead, and Jimmy must follow the winding trail the stranger has left behind to its conclusion. Red Bones: When a young archaeologist discovers a set of human remains, the locals are intrigued. Is it an ancient find—or a more contemporary mystery? Then an elderly woman is fatally shot, and Jimmy Perez is called in. In Red Bones, a claustrophobic mist swirls around the Shetland Islands, and Inspector Perez finds himself totally in the dark. Blue Lightning: Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez brings his fiancée home to Fair Isle, a birder’s paradise, but when a woman’s body is discovered at the island’s bird observatory, the investigation is hampered by a raging storm that renders the island totally isolated. Jimmy has to find clues the old-fashioned way, and he has to do it quickly. There’s a killer on the island just waiting for the chance to strike again.

The much-anticipated eighth novel in Ann Cleeves'' bestselling Vera Stanhope series.A visit to her local prison brings DI Vera Stanhope face to face with an old enemy: former detective superintendent, and now inmate, John Brace. Brace was convicted of corruption and involvement in the death of a gamekeeper - and Vera played a part in his downfall. Brace promises Vera information about the disappearance of Robbie Marshall, a notorious wheeler-dealer, if she will look out for his daughter and grandchildren. He tells her that Marshall is dead, his body is buried close to St Mary''s Island in Whitley Bay. However, when a search team investigates, officers find not one skeleton, but two. This cold case case takes Vera back in time, and very close to home, as Brace and Marshall, along with a mysterious stranger known only as ''the Prof'', were close friends of Hector, her father. Together, they were ''the Gang of Four'', and Hector had been one of the last people to see Marshall alive. Vera must confront her prejudices and unwanted memories to dig out the truth, as the past begins to collide dangerously with the present... The Seagull is Ann Cleeves'' searing new novel, about corruption deep in the heart of a community, and about fragile, and fracturing, family relationships.

From Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—comes The Moth Catcher. “Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers.”—Louise Penny Life seems perfect in the quiet community of Valley Farm. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist, to look after the place while they’re away. But his dead body is found by the side of the lane—a lonely place to die. When DI Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene, she finds the body of a second man. What the two victims seem to have in common is a fascination with studying moths—and with catching these beautiful, intriguing creatures. The others who live in Valley Farm have secrets too: Lorraine’s calm demeanor belies a more complex personality; Annie and Sam’s daughter, Lizzie, is due to be released from prison; and Nigel watches, silently, every day, from his window. As Vera is drawn into the claustrophobic world of this increasingly strange community, she realizes that there may be many deadly secrets trapped there . . .

In this gloriously illustrated companion to her crime novels featuring Inspector Jimmy Perez, Ann Cleeves takes readers through a year on Shetland. Discover its past, meet its people, celebrate its festivals and see how the flora and fauna of the islands change with the seasons. An archipelago of more than a hundred islands, Shetland is the one of the most remote places in the United Kingdom. Its fifteen hundred miles of shore mean that wherever one stands, there is a view of the sea. It has sheltered voes and beaches and dramatically exposed cliffs, lush meadows full of wild flowers in the summer and bleak hilltops where only the hardiest of plants will grow. It is a place where traditions are valued and celebrated, but new technologies and ways of working are also embraced. Whether it is the drama of the Viking fire festival of Up Helly Aa in winter, or the piercing blue and hot pink of spring flowers on the clifftops, the long, white nights of midsummer or the fierce gales and high tides of autumn, Shetland is vividly captured in all its bleak and special beauty. A book to treasure, full of photos and insightful notes about the stunning location of the Shetland series, now a major BBC One drama starring Douglas Henshall.

"When the body of a journalist is found, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted from outside to head up the investigation. Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed in this case, and he decides to help Willow. The dead journalist had left the islands years before to pursue his writing career. In his wake, he left a scandal involving a young girl. When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that the journalist was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn''t want to come to the surface."--

Killjoy is the fourth mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. The youth theatre cast are in their places but Gus Lynch’s female lead is missing, that is, until she’s found in the boot of his car . . . Detective Inspector Stephen Ramsay and Sergeant Gordon Hunter are assigned to head the murder enquiry, meanwhile violence is escalating on the Starling Farm Estate as police battle to contain the latest outbreak of joyriding. Is the death of Gabriella connected to the events at Starling Farm? When another death occurs, investigations suggest a possible link, and Ramsay realizes what could have provoked someone to kill . . . and kill again.

Ann Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again Come Death and High Water is the second mystery novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. The picturesque privately-owned island of Gillibry off the North Devon coast turns out to be the perfect site for a murder . . . A routine weekend visit by the Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust is made memorable by the owner’s announcement that he is going to sell the island. A sale would mean the end of the Observatory, which for some of the birders made life worth living. A fire in Charlie Todd’s cottage added to their distress. And when, next morning, after a fierce storm, they found Charlie dead in a bird hide, their pleasant September weekend assumed a dangerous new face. Charlie Todd’s murder could have been the deed of any member of the Trust. And it falls to one of their own, George Palmer-Jones, to unravel the identity of killer within their midst . . .

Murder in My Backyard is the second mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. No one in Heppleburn has a bad word to say about Alice Parry . . . but here she is, murdered in her own backyard on a bitter St. David’s Eve. When detective Stephen Ramsay starts asking questions in the village, a more ambiguous picture begins to emerge. Yes, old Mrs. Parry was loved by everyone, but sometimes her kindness had caused trouble. Yes, her two nephews were devoted to her, but they didn’t really want her interfering in their rather complicated personal lives. Even among her neighbours, Alice Parry’s helpfulness had sometimes misfired; and after her death, tension tight as a clenched fist grips the uneasy village. Meanwhile, the suspects keep rolling in, and Heppleburn’s friendly neighbourhood killer continues his nasty piece of work . . . Ann Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again

Ann Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again A Bird in the Hand is the first novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. In England''s birdwatching paradise, a new breed has been sighted – a murderer . . . Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether. But as he and his fellow "twitchers" flocked from Norfolk to Scotland to the Scilly Isles, in response to rumours of rare sightings, George – with help from his lovely wife, Molly – gradually discerned the true markings of a killer. All he had to do was prove it . . . before the murderer strikes again.

The Mysteries of Shetland is a great value bind-up of the first three novels in Ann Cleeves phenomenal Shetland series - filmed as the major BBC1 drama starring Douglas Henshall, Shetland. Containing the first three novels, Raven Black, White Nights and Red Bones, this gripping eBook bundle is the perfect introduction to Detective Jimmy Perez. Also available in the Shetland series are Blue Lightning, Dead Water and Thin Air.

The Baby-Snatcher is the sixth and final mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. Marilyn Howe’s and her mother Kathleen are an inseparable duo, until one night Kathleen doesn’t come home . . . Fifteen year old Marilyn turns up alone and frightened on Inspector Ramsay’s doorstep so he takes the young girl home to the isolated coastal community known as the Headland. And in the Howes’ dark and cluttered kitchen they find Kathleen safe and apparently well, though acting rather mysteriously. Six months later, Ramsay has more or less forgotten the strange incident, busy as he is on the trail of a local child abductor. Until he receives news that Mrs Howe has disappeared once more. And for the second time he is drawn into the strange relationships of the families living on the lonely Headland. Then a woman’s body is washed up on the beach . . .