It's a long, hot summer in the south of England and Pitt's small vineyard is in crisis. The bank's chasing debts and government inspectors are snooping around. Yet Pitt is drawn further and further into Yuan Ju's dark and disturbing world. How far is he prepared to go to help her?

Pitt's wife looks on, nervous and insecure, impotent with fear, while her mother watches everything, biding her time. She will be not fearful, but vengeful.

And walking through the vines in near silence, Pitt must address the most perplexing question of all. Where are the birds? Just a few dead at first, but soon the skies are empty.

Douglas Lindsay is the author of 14 novels, including The Unburied Dead (DS Hutton series), We Are The Hanged Man (DCI Jericho), the surreal thriller Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite! and The Legend Of Barney Thomson, now a major movie starring Robert Carlyle and Emma Thompson.