‘An absolute master of pace, plotting and character’ ELLY GRIFFITHS

ON A REMOTE ISLAND

When Jez Cardew’s boat is found drifting empty on the Atlantic Ocean, DI Ben Kitto and his fellow lifeboat crew members immediately fear the worst. After an extensive search yields no results, the team are forced to retreat to dry land as darkness sets in.

THE OCEAN IS MERCILESS

But Kitto can’t let it go. Why would Jez – an experienced sailor – get into difficulty when the sea has been calm for weeks? Unless his disappearance was no accident.

BUT SO ARE THE PEOPLE . . .

The gruesome discovery of a hand washed ashore on the beach confirms his hunch. Because a medal is attached to the index finger, and it can only have been placed there by the killer.

This strange clue is the only lead to an agenda as cold as the ocean itself. Kitto must work fast, before the small, isolated community closes ranks. And it’s only a matter of time before the murderer among them strikes again . . .

Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths, this gripping new locked-island mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end.

PRAISE FOR KATE RHODES

‘Beautifully written and expertly plotted’ GUARDIAN

‘Clever, atmospheric and compelling’ WOMAN'S WEEKLY

‘Expertly weaves a sense of place and character into a tense and intriguing story’ METRO

‘Rhodes does a superb job of balancing a portrayal of a tiny community oppressed by secrets with an uplifting evocation of setting’ JAKE KERRIDGE, SUNDAY EXPRESS

‘A vividly realised protagonist whose complex and harrowing history rivals the central crime storyline’ SOPHIE HANNAH, DAILY EXPRESS

‘Rhodes is a published poet and every one of her sentences sings’ FINANCIAL TIMES

‘Gripping, clever and impossible to put down . . . The claustrophobia and paranoia of the island are so brilliantly evoked, I could almost feel the tide encroaching as time ran out to find the killer’ ERIN KELLY

‘The whole book tingles with tension. I hope it does for the Scilly Isles what Ann Cleeves did for Shetland’ MEL MCGRATH

‘Evocative, immersive, twisty’ SARAH VAUGHAN

‘One of the most absorbing books I’ve read in a long time’ MEL SHERRATT

‘Kate Rhodes directs her cast of suspects with consummate skill, keeping us guessing right to the heartbreaking end’ LOUISE CANDLISH