Every lie has its cost. In money or in blood . . .

Suave, suited winemaker Adam Gillespie has it all. A thriving business. A designer home in a leafy Birmingham suburb. And a little black book full of lovers.

Until, the drab Monday morning he’s found dead at his desk. A carrier bag masks his chiseled features — and surely smothered his final cries.

Detective Tom Mariner’s team are ready to chalk it up as a tragic accident. A kink gone horribly wrong.

But Mariner’s not so sure. The burn marks around the victim’s wrists tell a darker story.

And this isn’t the only mysterious death on Mariner’s patch.

Elsewhere, an elderly woman is found floating in a murky canal.

Mariner knows he should leave well alone. He’s supposed to be on leave. Recovering from the case that almost cost him everything . . .

He somehow survived, battered not beaten. But his health — and his relationship — are hanging by a thread.

This time around, he might not be so lucky . . .

Discover the irresistibly tense and twisty new thriller in Chris Collett’s bestselling series, starring grumpy but loveable Detective Tom Mariner.

Perfect for fans of Peter James, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Caro Ramsay, Helen H. Durrant, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson.