As summer fades into autumn in rural North Wales, a hiker stumbles upon the body of a teenage boy lying in a pasture near a stone bridge. With only sheep as witnesses, no one knows at first if he died of a self-inflicted drug overdose or if he was the victim of a crime. What they do know is that he is the son of Lord Blevens, local minor royalty, and that he was missing for three days before he died.DCI Will Cooper is assigned the case, along with a new partner, Beth Holway. Tiptoeing their way among upper-class suspects who are quick to protect themselves with both lawyers and the media, they find only puzzles as they try to trace the boy’s final days. Those missing three days seemingly have no explanation, nor does the cryptic note found in the boy’s pocket or the fact that he died of an overdose despite no signs that he was using. Everyone they interview describes the family as well-liked in the area and the boy himself as a great kid with a glowing future. No one appears to have a motive for wanting him dead. When a clue takes them to the little village of Llangynog, Will tumbles to the temptation of re-connecting with Bronwyn Bagley in the hope that she will use her mysterious connections to help him solve the case. Together, they follow a trail of faint clues that seemingly offer little help until they stumble on the one that points to a solution that has Will dancing a fine line between protecting another child and betraying his new partner’s trust.
Genre: Mystery
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Janet Newton's Beyond the Pale