The last thing she remembers is standing outside the empty house. One she was employed to pack, ready for removal. Her job is her life. It is her compulsion to take care of an owner's precious possessions, to do whatever it takes to help them move on. Now she is cold, dirty, damp, trapped in its cellar with no chance of escape, miles from anywhere. His prisoner.
And then he returns.
Her captor believes she holds the answers to why a young girl was murdered a year ago. He refuses to let her go until she reveals her secrets. But he doesn't know she has hidden depths, and an anger she works hard to control.
The battle lines are drawn. They are the only two people who can solve the mystery of the dead girl. But when the truth is revealed, whose life will shatter?
* * *
Praise for Sarah Hilary and Black Thorn:
'Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff . . . has the atmosphere and drama of a modern-day du Maurier novel' – Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key
'A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told' – Megan Abbott, author of You Will Know Me
''It's strange and compelling, and no one else could have written it' - Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses