DCI Carol Jordan is recruited for a special undercover mission in Germany which it is hoped will lead to the downfall of underworld boss Tadeusz and his trafficking operations in drugs and illegal immigrants. Meanwhile a murderer is abroad, hunting and killing psychologists across Northern Europe. Psychological profiler, Tony Hill, is expert at tracking serial killers but Carol knows Tony has turned his back on that profession after the horrors of the prior investigations that threw them together. Nevertheless Carol seeks Tony's help for her perilous undercover role, contact between them is re-established and the tensions of unfinished business between them rekindled. When someone Tony actually knows becomes the murderer's latest victim he is irresistibly drawn into assisting the law enforcement agencies who need his expertise.
This is the third novel to feature Tony Hill and McDermid writes with an assurance and style that leaves the reader confident that they are in safe hands for a treacherous and nail-biting journey. Her storytelling is as fluent as the rivers that form the landscape of the novel. Her accounts of abuse and cruelty are unflinching and disturbing as she examines, through the voice of the murderer, a cycle of violence set in motion by the depraved activities of the Nazis and of the German citizens and professionals who colluded with them. A Euro-thriller with action that spans the continent and is bound to be a huge success at home and abroad. Superb.
Manchester Evening News 8.02.02