A series of brutal murders dredges up dark secrets from the past, and DI Alec McKay finds himself caught in the crossfire in this pulse-pounding Scottish Highlands thriller.

As the winter chill grips the Highlands, a body is discovered burned alive in a solstice bonfire, kicking off a harrowing Christmas season. When a retired businessman is found hanging from a tree and another associate is savagely murdered in his isolated home, the team is stretched to the limit. With DCI Helena Grant away for a romantic holiday with crime writer Bill Emsworth, McKay must navigate a series of baffling killings under mounting pressure—amidst staff shortages and the relentless Scottish winter.

As McKay races to connect the dots, he uncovers that the victims are all tied to a decades-old investigation, sensationalised in a true-crime book penned by Emsworth. With another businessman missing, McKay fears the killer’s next target may be disturbingly close to home—Helena and Emsworth could be in the crosshairs.

To save them, McKay must unravel a mystery rooted in Helena Grant’s own past, before the killer closes in for the final strike…

For fans of Ian Rankin, this gripping, atmospheric thriller combines complex characters, chilling crimes, and the unforgiving Scottish landscape into an unmissable tale of suspense.