Published 8th October 2026

Ann Cleeves SIGNED sprayed edge Indie Exclusive Edition

The deadliest truths are those in the shadows . . .
Detective Matthew Venn is called in to investigate a puzzling death. The body of a young woman has been found in the swimming pool of a luxurious holiday home in North Devon, and her best friend is missing. The property, Tide House, belongs to Paul Armstrong – a rising political star; a fact that quickly draws intense media scrutiny.
As a scorching heat wave rages and further tragedy strikes, Venn and his team begin questioning a community brimming with secrets. The dead woman and her friend had been spotted at a nearby music festival the day before, an event which brought locals and outsiders together. Some of whom may have been more connected with the Armstrongs than first thought.

Caught between a powerful family’s secrets and a powder keg of local tensions, Venn must navigate a treacherous path. Knowing that the real answers lie not in what people say, but in the silence that they keep