On a beautiful May morning, the body of a young woman is found in one of Notting Hill's private gardens. Detective Gemma James discovers that this is the second tragedy in this exclusive London park in recent months, and soon enough there is yet another murder. Meanwhile, Gemma's husband Duncan Kincaid finds himself plagued by questions about several previous cases involving members of the Metropolitan Police force. The duo's 17th case (after To Dwell in Darkness) is its most complex yet; a brutal attack on a cop leads Kincaid to believe that there's a traitor in the ranks, even as Gemma hunts down a serial killer.

"[Crombie's] Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James characters are rich, emotionally textured, fully human. They are the remarkable creations of a remarkable writer."—Louise Penny