After a grisly death ruins a couple’s vacation, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley must determine whether this small-town tragedy was an accident or the beginning of a sinister plot—a “totally satisfying mystery” (Denver Post) in the #1 New York Times bestselling Inspector Lynley series.

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“This rich, intricate novel is a perfect choice for anyone in the market for first-rate summer fiction.”—The Baltimore Sun

Deborah and Simon St. James have taken a holiday in the winter landscape of Lancastershire, hoping to heal the growing rift in their marriage. But in the barren countryside awaits bleak news: The vicar of Wimslough, the man they had come to see, is dead—a victim of accidental poisoning. Unsatisfied with the inquest ruling and unsettled by the close association between the investigating constable and the woman who served the deadly meal, Simon calls in his old friend Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley. Together they uncover dark, complex relationships in this rural village—relationships that bring men and women together with a passion, with grief, or with the intention to kill.