'Beckett works the reader like a puppet, he rips the rug out from under our feet not once, but twice. That's nothing compared to the final scene, which plays like an amazing thriller.'

'Strong characters, grisly murders and non-stop suspense... With shocking revelations at every turn and an atmosphere so creepy that readers will find themselves looking over their shoulders, this is a book impossible to put down.'

'Rich in atmosphere and ripe with suspense, Beckett leads his hero and the reader on a twisting journey where the killer is as treacherous as the rocky terrain and the stormy weather.'

'A classy suspense novel... Fans of Reichs and Cornwall will be pleased with the originality of the investigative work, and aficionados of the twist ending will be in for a good tweaking.'

'Beckett's dynamite follow-up to The Chemistry of Death takes Hunter back to his roots as a forensic anthropologist. This go-round is both beter written and a good-deal more intriguing, with twists and turns up to the very last dramatic page... Forensic details never overwhelm the story and Beckett is on solid ground when it comes to plotting and ratcheting up the tension. His ending is a stnner.'

'In the exceptional second thriller from British author Beckett to feature forensic anthropologist David Hunter (after 2006's The Chemistry of Death), the former GP invesitages a suspicious death on Runa, a small island in the Hebrides.... The suspense mounts along with the body count and the approach of a storm that cuts off the island from the outside world. While some of the plot elements may be a little too close to those of the prior book, Becket does them better here, and is especially adept at blending first- and third person narratives to heighten the tension.'

'Beckett cranks up the suspense with more deaths, an increasingly hostile atmosphere as Hunter gets nearer to the killer, and a gory climax with some unexpected twists at the end.'

'The isolated setting is well described, and the web of deceit tangled indeed, though Becket saves some unexpected and shocking twists for the end of the novel. A thoroughly engaging read.'

'Simon Beckett ably combines numerous twists and turns with intelligent and sensitive writing and characterisation... full of suspense up to and including the final cliff-hanger.'