''Deeply layered, fiendishly clever and absorbing'' Matt Hilton, author of the Joe Hunter series

The first gritty thriller in the Avison Fluke series by M. W. Craven, the acclaimed author of The Puppet Show.

Detective Inspector Avison Fluke is a man on the edge. He has committed a crime to get back to work, concealed a debilitating illness and is about to be made homeless. Just as he thinks things can''t get any worse, the body of a young woman is found buried on a Cumbrian building site.

Shot once in the back of the head, it is a cold, calculated execution. When the post-mortem reveals she has gone to significant expense in disguising her appearance, Fluke knows this is no ordinary murder.

With the help of a psychotic ex-Para, a gangland leader and a woman more interested in maggots than people, Fluke must find out who she was and why she was murdered before he can even think about finding her killer...

Praise for M. W. Craven:

''Dark, sharp and compelling'' PETER JAMES

''Fantastic'' MARTINA COLE

''Britain''s answer to Harry Bosch'' MATT HILTON

''Thrilling'' MICK HERRON

''Brilliantly inventive'' WILLIAM SHAW

''A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent'' DAVID MARK