Detective Inspector Avison Fluke is a man on the edge. He has committed a crime to get back to work, concealed an illness, and is about to be made homeless. Just as he thinks things can't get any worse, the body of a young woman is found buried on a Cumbrian building site.

Shot once through the back of the head, it is a cold, calculated murder. Wehn the post-mortem reveals she had gone to significant expense in disguising her appearance, Fluke knows this is no ordinary murder.

With the help of a psychotic ex-Para, a gangland leader and a woman more interested in maggots than people, Fluke must find out who she was and why she was murdered before he can even think of finding her killer. And as the body count rises, Fluke realises someone, somewhere has a plan - and if he can't figure out what's happening, he may well be the next victim.




Praise for M W Craven:

'Thrilling' Mick Herron

'Fantastic' Martina Cole

'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James

'Brilliantly inventive' William Shaw