One of the most satisfying characters in modern crime fiction' – Daily Mail

Summoned in the early hours of the morning to a Glasgow flat, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is confronted by a horrific crime scene. A teenage boy has been found mutilated and strangled to death by a vicious killer.

But her grim task of scanning for evidence is made even more unsettling than normal by the boy’s remarkable resemblance to her – and by the fact that she gave up a baby boy for adoption all those years ago . . .

Overcome by guilt, Rhona sets out to find the boy’s killer and establish whether the young victim is her long-lost child. Soon, she finds herself immersed in an investigation seeking to expose the dark underworld of Glasgow as it preys on the young and vulnerable. And, as the case builds, it becomes clear that some very powerful men have a lot to lose if Rhona succeeds – and everything to gain if she dies . . .