Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge finds himself caught in a twisted web of
vengeance, old grievances, and secrets that lead back to World War I in
the nineteenth installment of the acclaimed bestselling series.
On the eve of the bloody Battle of the Somme, a group of English
officers having a last drink before returning to the Front make a
promise to each other: if they survive the battle ahead--and make it
through the war--they will meet in Paris a year after the fighting ends.
They will celebrate their good fortune by racing motorcars they beg,
borrow, or own from Paris to Nice.
In November 1919, the officers all meet as planned, and though their
motorcars are not designed for racing, they set out for Nice. But a
serious mishap mars the reunion. In the mountains just north of their
destination, two vehicles are nearly run off the road, and one man is
badly injured. No one knows--or will admit to knowing--which driver was
at the wheel of the rogue motorcar.
Back in England one year later, during a heavy rainstorm, a driver loses
control on a twisting road and is killed in the crash. Was it an
accident due to the hazardous conditions? Or premeditated murder? Is the
crash connected in some way to the unfortunate events in the mountains
above Nice the year before? The dead driver wasn't in France--although
the motorcar he drove was. If it was foul play, was it a case of
mistaken identity? Or was the dead man the intended victim after all?
Investigating this perplexing case, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge
discovers that the truth is elusive--and that the villages on the South
Downs, where the accident happened, are adept at keeping secrets,
frustrating his search. Determined to remain in the shadows this
faceless killer is willing to strike again to stop Rutledge from finding
him. This time, the victim he chooses is a child, and it will take all
of Rutledge's skill to stop him before an innocent young life is
sacrificed.
