Ben Kitto is taking a break from the murder squad in London to return to the island where he grew up - Bryher, part of the Scilly Isles. His plan to help his uncle build boats in his boat yard is put on hold when a young girl disappears and is later found washed up on to the beach. She has been murdered. Ben volunteers to assist with the investigation and is appointed to lead the enquiry with the assistance of a young officer, Eddie Nickell.
Ben knows that the person who murdered Laura is still on the island but working out who is responsible proves to be a major challenge. Many of the suspects were friends of Ben when he lived on the island which provides him with some inside information but also makes the investigation harder. In this close knit community he discovers a variety of family and inter-family tensions, plus family violence. Ben also discovers that one of the islanders has been threatening other residents if they do not sell their land to him. There is also a drug smuggling operation involving several young island residents. As Ben and Eddie attempt to unravel what is really going on a young man also disappears and his body is also located in the sea.
The book is not just about solving the crime. The complex relationships that abound in this small island community plus the descriptions of the island itself are important features of this novel.
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