In her most eagerly anticipated novel yet, Elizabeth
George brings back Scotland Yard's Thomas Lynley to
investigate a ruthless crime.
After the senseless
murder of his wife, Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley
retreated to Cornwall, where he has spent six solitary
weeks hiking the bleak and rugged coastline. But no matter
how far he walks, no matter how exhausting his days, the
painful memories of Helen's death do not diminish.
On the forty-third day of his walk, at the base of a
cliff, Lynley discovers the body of a young man who
appears to have fallen to his death. The closest town,
better known for its tourists and its surfing than its
intrigue, seems an unlikely place for murder. However, it
soon becomes apparent that a clever killer is indeed at
work, and this time Lynley is not a detective but a
witness and possibly a suspect.
The head of the
vastly understaffed local police department needs Lynley's
help, though, especially when it comes to the mysterious,
secretive woman whose cottage lies not far from where the
body was discovered. But can Lynley let go of the past
long enough to solve a most devious and carefully planned
crime?