The deadliest truths are those in the shadows . . .

Detective Matthew Venn is called to investigate when the body of a young woman is found in the swimming pool of Tide House, a luxurious holiday home in North Devon. The girl’s best friend has disappeared and the property belongs to rising political star Paul Armstrong, leading to intense media scrutiny.

As a scorching heatwave rages and further tragedy strikes, Venn and his team question a community brimming with secrets. The dead girl and her friend had been spotted at a music festival the previous day, an event which brought locals and outsiders together – some of whom may have been more connected with the Armstrongs than first thought.

Caught between a powerful family’s secrets and a powder keg of local tensions, Venn must navigate a treacherous path – knowing that the real answers lie not in what people say, but in the silence that they keep . . .

Praise for Ann Cleeves:
'Everything Ann Cleeves writes is incredible' Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club
'Ann Cleeves is a stone cold genius' Marian Keyes, author of My Favourite Mistake
'The queen of the detective novel, thrilling millions of readers' Daily Express