Geraldine’s judgment is sharp. But this case cuts deeper than most.

When Peter Selby vanishes after reporting a suspicious encounter, few take notice ? until a man is found brutally stabbed in a quiet York suburb. Detectives Geraldine Steel and Ariadne Croft begin to investigate, but what looks like a random act of violence soon unravels into a dark and deeply personal mystery. As they dig into the lives of the victims, the emotional landscape grows increasingly fractured.

Peter’s wife is guarded, their daughter erratic and angry. The second victim’s family are cold, evasive, and seemingly determined to keep the past buried. Then a second disappearance throws everything into chaos. With each revelation, the detectives uncover layers of resentment, betrayal, and psychological trauma lurking behind the neat façades of domestic life.

Under mounting pressure, and with Ariadne in growing danger, Geraldine must navigate a maze of fractured relationships and shifting motives before the killer strikes again. Taut, unsettling, and emotionally charged, this psychological crime thriller exposes the darkness beneath the surface?and the human cost of secrets left to fester.