'Kate Brannigan deserves promotion to the top rank, alongside Kinsey Millhone and V.I. Warshawski. Plot, characterization, pace are all first-rate, and Brannigan is one of the most likeable of all today's PIs'
Sunday Telegraph
'A satisfying range of villains, Manchester and its environs turn deeply sinister and Brannigan toughs and wisecracks her way to a solution.'
The Times
Praise for Val McDermid:
'No one rivals Val McDermid's skill at writing truly terrifying thrillers' Good Housekeeping
'The real mistress of psychological gripping thrillers' Daily Express
'McDermid's capacity to enter the warped mind of a deviant criminal is shiveringly convincing' The Times
'Val McDermid is undoubtedly the queen of British crime' Observer
'McDermid's expertly juggled plotlines and masterful handling of pace and tension tick all the best boxes' Guardian
'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' Independent
'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review
'Her writing is never less than excellent' Crime Time