A remote island. An isolated community. A terrible secret.

If the new District Sheriff, Tristan Haraldsen, thought moving to a remote village on the island of Vagar would be the chance for a peaceful life with his wife Elsebeth, his first few weeks in office swiftly correct him of that notion.

Provoked into taking part in the village's whale hunt against his will, Haraldsen blunders badly, and in the ensuing chaos two local boys go missing. Blaming himself, Haraldsen dives into the investigation and soon learns that the boys are not the first to have gone missing on Vagar.

As Tristan and Elsebeth become increasingly ensnared by the island's past, they realise its wild beauty hides an altogether uglier and sinister truth.

"As grim as the bleakest of Nordic noir. If you think the solution to the crime will produce a happy ending, just wait till the chilling final pages" - * Kirkus *

"Hewson expertly paints a punishing Faroese winter, crafting the perfect backdrop for this chilling addition to the growing field of crime fiction set in the Faroe Islands" - * Booklist *

"This grim tale [is] almost the stuff of Norse myths . . . Readers will be gripped and hold fast until the shocking end" - * Publishers Weekly *

"A riveting and fast-paced thriller . . . every character hides a dark secret that, like Rome's ancient mysteries, seems to lurk just beyond reach. A complex and satisfying mystery from a master plot maker" - * Booklist *

"Costa and Peroni, like all the best fictional detectives, become more rounded and interesting with every episode" - * Literary Review *

"Hewson's inventiveness never flags" - * Sunday Times *