'A true master of British crime writing.' RICHARD OSMAN

A cursed island. A macabre party. An unusual suspect.

Aubrey Vane's celebrated detective novels fictionalise real murder cases. They have captivated readers for years, but his fascination with true crime borders on obsession.

When Vane buys a house on Fever Island, he is drawn to the unsolved murder that ruined its reputation: the death of fellow crime writer Fletcher Watt. With macabre plans to reconstruct the crime, he invites the original guests back and enlists the help of a reluctant Rachel Savernake.

Then, just days into the gathering, Vane is found dead in his bathtub, and all eyes turn to Rachel. The guests know she is hiding something.

To clear her own name, she must solve the mystery - and in so doing, skirt dangerously close to revealing a truth she has been so careful to conceal.