During a blackout on the streets of London on a freezing evening in late 1944, a young Polish land girl, Rosa Nowak, is suddenly and brutally killed. For the police, their resources already stretched by war regulations and the thriving black market, this is a shocking and seemingly random crime. No one can find any reason why someone would want to murder an innocent refugee.

For the former police inspector John Madden, the crime hits close to home. Rosa was working on his farm and he feels personally responsible for not protecting her. His old colleagues Angus Sinclair and Billy Styles are still at the Yard, but struggle to make sense of their few clues.

Their only lead points towards war-torn Europe – but as the fighting sweeps across the continent, will they find the killer before he strikes again?

'An excellent and convincing evocation of wartime London' C. J.Sansom

'A superlative detective novel . . . Airth’s John Madden novels are must-reads’ Daily Express

Compelling . . . Airth’s atmosphere of London at war is superb’ The Times