‘Highly readable’ - Alexander McCall Smith ‘Red herrings, lies and cul-d-sacs interlink to create an enjoyable read and an awkward puzzle to solve’ - The Dorothy L Sayers Society ‘[Galbraith] offers a much needed female perspective on the city and the genre’ - Scottish Field As Heather Brodie kisses her lover goodnight, her disabled husband lies dead, his throat cut from ear to ear. Who wanted Gavin Brodie dead? Many people, including Gavin himself. Devastated by an incurable illness, he had begged to be allowed to die. When another terminally-ill man finds a knife-wielding intruder in his bedroom, DS Alice Rice concludes it is no coincidence and there may be a serial killer with a mission to get rid of the sick. This atmospheric thriller builds on the success of the first three Alice Rice mysteries, and it is a passionate tale of deception, betrayal and the value of life and love.