Introducing a heart-pounding crime thriller, set in the north of England.

The police receive a call.

‘Please help. He’s coming.’

The small voice is barely a whisper.

‘Who’s coming? Are you in danger?’
‘He has a knife. He killed her.’

The line goes dead.

Nine-year-old Anya crawls into a cupboard in her bedroom and calls the police again. The line connects as the bedroom door creaks open.

‘They’re here . . .’

A blood-curdling scream barrels down the phone, filling the earpiece of the operator.

For the second time, the lines goes dead.

Detectives Tanzy and Byrd are called to Anya’s home, a small, semi-detached property.

They’re hit by the familiar smell of death.

Something terrible happened here — and it’s up to Tanzy and Byrd to pull together the pieces of this terrifying puzzle.

This propulsive, unputdownable novel is perfect for fans of D.S. Butler, Charlie Gallagher, Rachel McLean, Emmy Ellis, Alex Smith and Joy Ellis.

READERS LOVE C.J. GRAYSON:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Spine-tingley scary, but there is always the element of humanity . . . I genuinely love these characters and this series.’ Mark

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A twisted and gripping read with writing that is nothing short of fabulous.’ Jim

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Had me gripped from the start. Excellent characters and some really twisty plots.’ Dee

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fantastic, pacy read with many twists along the way. Hold on tight!’ Karen

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The action, twists and turns do not stop until the last page . . . I simply could not put it down.’ Carole

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If youlove crime, then this is a must-read, and it should be on your TBR list!!’ Daisy

MEET THE DETECTIVES
With his square jaw and light South African lilt, Detective Orion Tanzy is considered quite the catch in Darlington. But Tanzy is devoted to his wife Pip. She’s had her struggles, but together they’re raising their two beautiful young children. Tanzy studied forensic science at university, and after joining the force moved up the ranks to join Max as a detective inspector. The dream of working in forensics may have faded, but Tanzy still watches Silent Witness and wonders how his career could have been.

Detective Max Byrd joined the police force as soon as he turned eighteen. His father was an army man, but he encouraged a reluctant Byrd to try the police instead. Twenty-three years later, he’s not once regretted the decision. A love of takeaways means Byrd doesn’t have the same washboard stomach as Tanzy, but an even greater love of five-a-side football — and his new partner Claire — keep him in good nick.

THE SETTING
Darlington, in the far north-east of England, is a small market town where everyone knows everyone. It’s a proper northern town with a proud industrial heritage thanks to the old wool manufacturing industry. The bustling centre is the heart of the town, with the river Tees running around the outskirts, and, while it’s a busy little place during the day, at night, there are plenty of dark, quiet alleyways you’d do well to stay away from.