Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge finds himself caught in a
twisted web of vengeance, old grievances, and secrets that
lead back to World War I in the nineteenth installment of
the acclaimed bestselling series.
On the eve of the bloody Battle of the Somme, a group of
English officers having a last drink before returning to the
Front make a promise to each other: if they survive the
battle ahead—and make it through the war—they will meet in
Paris a year after the fighting ends. They will celebrate
their good fortune by racing motorcars they beg, borrow, or
own from Paris to Nice.
In November 1919, the officers all meet as planned, and
though their motorcars are not designed for racing, they set
out for Nice. But a serious mishap mars the reunion. In the
mountains just north of their destination, two vehicles are
nearly run off the road, and one man is badly injured. No
one knows—or will admit to knowing—which driver was at the
wheel of the rogue motorcar.
Back in England one year later, during a heavy rainstorm, a
driver loses control on a twisting road and is killed in the
crash. Was it an accident due to the hazardous conditions?
Or premeditated murder? Is the crash connected in some way
to the unfortunate events in the mountains above Nice the
year before? The dead driver wasn’t in France—although the
motorcar he drove was. If it was foul play, was it a case of
mistaken identity? Or was the dead man the intended victim
after all?
Investigating this perplexing case, Scotland Yard Inspector
Ian Rutledge discovers that the truth is elusive—and that
the villages on the South Downs, where the accident
happened, are adept at keeping secrets, frustrating his
search. Determined to remain in the shadows this faceless
killer is willing to strike again to stop Rutledge from
finding him. This time, the victim he chooses is a child,
and it will take all of Rutledge’s skill to stop him before
an innocent young life is sacrificed.