Prepare the body. Don't ask questions. Protect the ones you love.

Mortician Ella Foxton has built her life around honouring the dead and guiding them to their final resting place. Her peace is shattered when Jonny Massey, a notorious gangster, arrives at her small funeral parlour demanding she provide a lavish funeral for his brother Jimmy.

As Ella prepares Jimmy's remains, she soon realises it's not just a body Massey wants buried, but a lifetime of violent secrets. Secrets that may just tie the Masseys to a double murder investigation headed by the tenacious DS Brian Rushton.

Caught between a live investigation and warring gangs, Ella must decide how far she'll go to bring the truth to light.

After all, the dead can't speak, but every body tells a story . . .

PRAISE FOR SHARON BOLTON

'Will have readers looking nervously over their shoulder with every page they turn' Mick Herron
'Propulsive . . . buckle up for some high-stakes drama' Guardian
'Filled with intrigue and suspense . . . Spellbinding' Clare Mackintosh
'Menacing and complex' Observer
'A master thriller writer' Jo Spain
'Nail-biting, heart-pounding suspense that leaps from one dizzying twist to another' J.P. Delaney
'One of my favourite crime writers' Jane Casey
'Horrifying and addictive' Catherine Cooper