The standout read of the summer. Its a masterclass in brilliant writing and whether youve read the earlier books in the series or not youll enjoy it. IndependentLike all good detectives he is a hero for men and women alike. The TimesLaced with Atkinsons sharp dry humour and one of the joys of the Brodie novels has always been that they are so funny. ObserverJackson Brodie has relocated to a quiet seaside village in North Yorkshire in the occasional company of his recalcitrant teenage son Nathan and ageing Labrador Dido both at the discretion of his former partner Julia. Its a picturesque setting but theres something darker lurking behind the scenes.Jacksons current job gathering proof of an unfaithful husband for his suspicious wife seems straightforward but a chance encounter with a desperate man on a crumbling cliff leads him into a sinister networkand back into the path of someone from his past. Old secrets and new lies intersect in this breathtaking new literary crime novel both sharply funny and achingly sad by one of the most dazzling and surprising writers at work today. What readers are saying A glorious tapestry of storytelling. An intelligently written gripping book with characters you fall in love with. Sheer genius with the characteristic thread of humour.