The critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling Declan Walsh series continues...

“The house always wins…”

When builders strip back the foundations of a former gentlemen’s club casino in the City of London, they uncover a hidden basement — and a corpse that’s been waiting a decade to be found; D.Q. James, an American poker legend who disappeared at the height of his fame. But behind the glamour of high-stakes tables and velvet ropes was a man who thrived on risk — extravagant spending, affairs with rivals’ wives, and enemies in every corner of the game.

As DCI Declan Walsh and the Temple Inn team dig into James’ final days, the list of motives grows with every turn of the card. But while the case pushes deeper into London’s poker underworld, an old Hendon friend of Sergeant Morten De’Geer turns up, dragging a personal problem into the very heart of the case.

In a world where grudges run deep and every player is bluffing, Declan must work out who played the winning hand…

Before the past deals another body.