Publisher's Synopsis
DI Thomas Lynley is still on compassionate leave, and Isabelle Ardery is brought in to the Met as his temporary replacement. The discovery of a body in Stoke Newington cemetery offers Isabelle the chance to make her mark. She knows she'll be operating under the unforgiving scrutiny of the media: a series of policing disasters has left the Met twitchy. And she reckons her best chance of success is to persuade Lynley back into active service: his team is fiercely loyal and Isabelle needs them on side. The murder trail leads Lynley to the New Forest, and eventual resolution of the case. Its roots are in a long-ago act of violence that has poisoned subsequent generations and its outcome is both tragic and shocking.