'One of the most striking crime novels of the year.' Daily Mail

A murdered schoolteacher. A police force under attack. A teen hiding secrets beneath silence.

When a body is discovered at an abandoned Suffolk farm, DS Rob Minshull and the squad believes it's the latest casualty of the drugs war terrorising rural communities. But when the victim is identified as a well-respected local teacher, the case is thrown wide open.

While they hunt the murderer, the South Suffolk CID team face a new threat. A brutal vigilante group dispensing their own twisted justice puts the investigation in grave danger, as well as the detectives.

Educational psychologist, Dr Cora Lael, is called in to work with Lottie Arundel, a troubled teen who stopped speaking a year ago.

As Cora enters Lottie's world, it seems that the teen's silence might hold the key to the case. But as Cora and Rob work together to find a vicious killer, it's clear that uncovering Lottie's secrets will take Cora and Rob into the most dangerous of places - where the price to pay for the truth might be death...

A twisty, utterly unputdownable crime thriller - if you like James Oswald or LJ Ross, you'll love this.

Praise for MJ White:

'Cora is a character you won't forget.' Steve Cavanagh, author of The Devil's Advocate

'Had me gripped from the moment I started reading it! One of the best thrillers of 2022.' Reader Review

'An unusual premise and an engaging cast of characters. I flew through it.' Mari Hannah, author of Her Last Request and Without a Trace

'A corker of a debut with a brilliantly drawn main character.' Simon Toyne, author of Solomon Creed

'Gripping, full of twists and unpredictability that had me guessing until the end. I couldn't put it down.' Reader Review

'I was well and truly hooked...The writing was well researched, the storyline gripping, and the characters were spot on!...This was fantastic! Would definitely recommend!' Reader Review

'This was excellent... There were many twists and I loved the plot development...I will pick up anything by this author in the future!' Reader Review

'Wow! What a fantastic story...I read it in a day, just couldn't put it down.' Reader Review

'Suspense, intrigue, great police work and a great storyline! It definitely had my heart pumping!' Reader Review

'Truly could not put this down... so many twists and turns... Great characters who are also believable' Reader Review

'Touchingly compassionate, desperately exciting and achingly well-written...a superlative crime novel' Rob Parker, author of Far From The Tree