Cambridge Black

The story starts with a prologue and details how two characters, Theo and Nadine, die together in a house which has been deliberately set on fire. It is a crime which is to have repercussions on the lives of many, not only at the time that it was committed but also twenty-two years in the future.

Amy Buckingham was seven years old when her father was tried and convicted of the crime. Now, over two decades later, there is fresh evidence which suggests that her father Robert was innocent after all. Amy takes it upon herself to clear his name. What she discovers may well make cause her to regret her decision.

Meanwhile, Gary Goodhew, on his seventh literary outing here, is haunted by the revelation that his grandfather was murdered when he was a boy. He too wants to set the record straight on the past. His investigation, carried out with the permission of his superior DCI Marks, will bring him into contact with Amy and will lead to some surprising discoveries.  A killer from the past is on the move again. This person is about to kill again. Perhaps it is better to leave the past alone.

Alison Bruce is clearly a very good writer and will maintain your interest until the end, particularly if you have been following the lives of the various characters over the years. As this was my first Bruce novel, I felt a bit disconnected as I had the feeling that I needed to have read at least some of the previous novels. For example, the murder of Grandfather Joe (which I later discovered was revealed in a previous book, The Promise) was knowledge I felt confused by. Goodhew’s relationship with Sue Gully and his colleague D.S Kincaide’s hatred for and envy of him left me perplexed. I suggest that you go back and read the previous books if you already haven’t.  I would have enjoyed it more if I had.