A gripping debut thriller set in 19th-century Turin from the winner of the 2012 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING new novel competition, for fans of CJ Sansom and Imogen Robertson.

The brightest mind meets the darkest killer...

1887. When James Murray, a young Scottish doctor fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind, travels to the vibrant city of Turin, it is to study with Cesare Lombroso, the world-renowned criminologist. But just hours after his introduction to Lombroso, the discovery of a horrifically mutilated body in the nearby Piazza Statuto, and a note that appears to implicate the celebrated criminologist himself, changes everything.

With the help of his fellow apprentice, a local investigator and Lombroso's beautiful but enigmatic housekeeper, Murray must put his learning to the test and endeavour to understand the mind of a serial killer if he is to stop the rapidly escalating bloodbath and clear the name of his mentor.

Meet the world's first criminologist in this compelling, fast-paced historical thriller.