Tana French meets True Detective in this tense and atmospheric debut mystery in which a body found in the ruins of an ancient church compels a hardened detective and a prophetic woman to bring a killer to light—even as they each hold tight to their own dark secrets…

"Dark, clever, and deliciously unsettling. . . . Full of unforgettable characters, unexpected warmth, and a mystery you can sink your teeth into."—Tiffany Crum, author of This Story Might Save Your Life

"Vivid, compelling, and creepy.” —Peter Swanson, author of Kill Your Darlings

Why do some men darken more than others?

On Easter morning, a body is found in the Irish countryside: headless, naked, kneeling in a ruined church as if in prayer. Worn thin and feeling a bit lonely on his 50th birthday, Detective Lewan Kane can’t make sense of this untraceable death. Is there a killer on the loose, or is this some kind of ritual? 

But then a strange woman, Ella, shows up in his office. Ella has seen heads lining up in her dreams—including the victim’s. Several years on from a devastating loss, she has been increasingly haunted by disturbing visions. Could they hold a killer’s truth? Or is she merely trapped in her private grief?

As the clock ticks, Lewan will have to decide if unlocking Ella’s mind could reveal the answers he needs. But the roots of this murder run dark and deep. With more lives on the line, Lewan too must consider the questions that haunt him most. Are we all born with light and shadow balanced inside us? And if so, what could make the light go out?

"One of the most compelling debuts in years.” —Yrsa Sigurdardottir, author of The Reckoning

“Chilling, suspenseful, but also deeply moving.” —Mark Billingham, author of What the Night Brings

“Both brutal and beautiful. With lush prose and a tight, well-crafted investigation, Tempest Black conjures an eldritch Ireland that is uniquely her own. ” —Hannah Morrisey, author of Hello, Transcriber