A perfect detective for our time and for all time.”—Stephen Fry

A ransacked room. A dead politician. A burglary gone wrong—or a staged murder?

DS George Cross loves puzzles—he's good at them—and he immediately spots one when he begins investigating the death of former mayor Peggy Frampton. To most, the crime scene looks like a burglary that went horribly wrong. But George can see what others can't: This was murder.

After her political career ended, Peggy became a controversial blogger whose forthright opinions attracted a battalion of online trolls. And then there's her family: an unfaithful husband and a gambling-addicted son. With yet more enemies in her past, the potential suspects are unending.

Cross must unpick the never-ending list of seedy connections to find her killer—but the sheer number of suspects is clouding his usually impeccable logic. He's a relentlessly methodical detective, but no case can last forever. And politics can be a dangerous game—especially for people who don't know the rules.