‘The bodies never stay buried forever . . .’

On a freezing winter morning, fishermen pull a body from the sea. It is quickly discovered that the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old investigation, when a prominent civil servant disappeared without trace. DCI Karen Pirie was the last detective to review the file and is drawn into a sinister world of betrayal and dark secrets.

But Karen is already grappling with another case, one with even more questions and fewer answers. A skeleton has been discovered in an abandoned campervan and all clues point to a killer who never faced justice – a killer who is still out there.

In her search for the truth, Karen uncovers a network of lies that has gone unchallenged for years. But lies and secrets can turn deadly when someone is determined to keep them hidden for good . . .

The number one bestseller and unrivalled queen of crime Val McDermid is back with her most exhilarating, breath-taking thriller yet.

The sense of McDermid’s books getting entangled with real life is particularly powerful ― The Times

Still life shows that she is still at the height of her powers . . . deeply enjoyable, one of her best ― Scotsman

An elegant and richly satisfying read ― Daily Mail

Tremendous. An effortlessly gripping read ― The Observer