Joanna Piercy must rescue an elderly man from a hostage situation that has chilling roots in the past in this enthralling mystery.

Detective Inspector Joanna Piercy’s joy at her close colleague Detective Sergeant Mike Korpanski’s return to work is short-lived. Elderly Joseph Holden has been taken hostage in his secluded mansion overlooking Rudyard Lake by an armed intruder. And the hostage taker insists he will only speak to her.

With just a four-day hostage negotiation course under her belt, Joanna is feeling the heat. How does the hostage taker know her name? What does he want? As the questions multiply and Rudyard Lake is sealed off by an armed response unit, Joanna is about to discover that the roots of this shocking event lie deeply buried in a terrible crime – a crime that happened far away and many years ago . . .

Set in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, featuring a compelling heroine and a stunning final revelation, this page-turning mystery is perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths, L.J. Ross, Ruth Rendell and Jane A. Adams.