A quiet Scottish village is besieged with violence in this thriller series debut by the international bestselling author of Dark is the Day.

The Scottish village of Castletown is known for its university, but the smalltown has now becomethe site of a spate of horrible murders, a targeted bomb explosion, and a lecturer's disappearance. What could link these bizarre and unnerving crimes? And what would cause anyone to strike here?

Having recently returned to Castletown in the hope of winning back his estranged wife, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Carruthers finds himself up to his eyes in the investigation. Struggling with her own personal problems, Detective Sergeant Andrea Fletcher is assisting Jim in the hunt for the murderous perpetrators. The possibility of a terrorist threat has everyone on edge-but the key to stopping another murder may be buried in the past.