A bouncer is drawn into a world of betrayal, power, and survival in this gritty gangland thriller from the author of The Serial Killer’s Daughter.

Sam Riley left the army searching for peace but only found trouble. Taking a job as a bouncer at an Essex nightclub, Sam stays out of the limelight—until a violent clash results in a new job offer: bodyguard to Monica, the sharp-tongued, glamorous wife of local gangster Benny and their young son Brando.

Drawn into Monica’s dangerous world, Sam is seduced by her charm and persuaded to help her put Benny six feet under. But nothing about this plan goes smoothly. Monica vanishes, leaving Sam to protect Brando as rival criminals descend to claim Benny’s empire.

As bodies start piling up, Sam must confront a traumatic past to save Brando from becoming another casualty in a brutal game of greed and duplicity . . .

For fans of Martina Cole’s stark, high-stakes thrillers, this is a story of loyalty and the dark cost of ambition.