A nerve-tingling and atmospheric thriller from master of suspense Nicci French about two
families shattered by tragedy and the secrets that have been waiting decades to be revealed. On
the day of Alec Salter's fiftieth birthday party just before Christmas 1990 his wife
Charlotte vanishes. Most of the small English village of Glensted is at the party for hours
before anyone realizes Charlotte is missing. While Alec brushes off her disappearance their
four children?especially fifteen-year-old Etty?grow increasingly anxious as the cold winter
hours become days and she doesn't return. When Charlotte's coat is found by the river they
fear the worst. Then the body of the Salters' neighbor Duncan Ackerley is found floating in
the river by his son Morgan and Etty. The police investigate and conclude that Duncan and
Charlotte were having an affair before he killed her and committed suicide. Thirty years later
Morgan Ackerley a successful documentarian has returned to Glensted with his older brother
Greg to make a podcast based on their shared tragedy with the Salters. Alec stricken with
dementia is entering an elder care facility while Etty helps put his affairs in order. But as
the Ackerleys ask to interview the Salters the entire town gets caught up in the unresolved
cases. Allegations are made secrets are revealed and a suspicious fire leads to a murder.
With the podcast making national news London sends Detective Inspector Maud O'Connor to
Glensted to take over the investigation. Resented by her mostly male colleagues she has no
tolerance for either their sexism or their incompetence. And she will stop at nothing to
uncover the truth as a new and terrifying picture of what really happened to Charlotte Salter
and Duncan Ackerley emerges.
