A brutal sacrifice, a corrupt cop and a lost brother will leave DI Aector McAvoy scrambling for his sanity in this gripping instalment in the gritty police procedural series by Sunday Times bestselling author David Mark.

On the desecrated soil of the Scottish Highlands, evil is about to meet its match.

The tiny island of Isle Maree in the Scottish Highlands was once a spiritual place for desperate souls
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now it’s a crime scene. A man’s body crucified on a sacred tree, metal coins driven into his body. Next to him another body, his head smashed in.

The police think it’s a twisted murder gone wrong and Hull detective DI Aector McAvoy finds himself in the middle of it. His estranged brother Duncan is accused of the brutal crime, and he is nowhere to be found.

But that’s not all. Duncan was not only at the scene of the crime, but in the company of a high-profile American heiress who is now missing too. The case takes a darker turn, but McAvoy is sure his brother wouldn’t hurt anyone, not even for money . . . or would he?

Fans of Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and Peter Robinson will find DI McAvoy “a true original” (Mick Herron). Another dark and complex case from Richard & Judy Bookclub and Kindle chart-topping author David Mark.