Wiltshire is a county of ancient beauty — rolling chalk downs, wooded valleys and chocolate-box villages. Famous for its ‘big’ skies and breathtaking scenery, it seems tranquil. But looks can be deceiving.

Katerina Raslova, a young British archaeologist, is found dead in a secluded cabin on a powerful local landowner’s estate. Her body has been carefully posed.

She looks like an exquisite sculpture. Except for the bruises circling her neck.

The only potential witness is a terrified girl who waited at the scene for the police to arrive . . . then vanished without a trace.

Detective Craig Wild, formerly of the Metropolitan police, is called in to investigate. He quickly discovers there’s no shortage of suspects. An obsessive ex-boyfriend with no alibi. The landowner’s evasive son, who knows more than he’s telling. And someone on the estate is growing something far more deadly than wheat.

Even his own partner, Acting DC Marnie Olsen, has a troubling personal connection to the victim.

Wild is determined to crack the case — and quickly. But this is rural Wiltshire, not inner-city London. Here, everyone knows your business, and miles of countryside offer countless places to hide the truth.

And then another young woman’s body is discovered . . .

A gripping British crime thriller full of twists and turns, dark crimes — and a detective with a relentless drive for justice. Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, L.J. Ross, Angela Marson, J.D. Kirk and Biba Pearce.