Moments before she was due to appear on stage at school fundraising gala, star cellist Lorna Smith is found dead, garrotted with her own cello string.

Freelance journalist Lindsay Gordon was only covering the gala to make some quick cash, but when a friend is arrested for Lorna’s murder, Lindsay is determined to prove her innocence.

With her friend’s freedom at stake, Lindsay dives into Lorna’s life, uncovering a world of secrets, lies and betrayal.

Praise for Val McDermid

‘McDermid remains unrivalled … Brilliant’ Observer

‘Val McDermid is a born storyteller… absorbing reading’ Sunday Telegraph

‘A classic … McDermid pulls out all the stops. Impeccable’ Guardian

Praise for Val McDermid:
'Val McDermid is an inspiration' Herald
'A well-pitched and topical mystery' Sunday Times
'McDermid's snappy, often comic, prose keeps the story humming' Publishers Weekly
‘The real mistress of psychological gripping thrillers; no one can plot or tell a story like she can’ Daily Express
‘The Queen of Crime reigns’ Independent
‘McDermid remains unrivalled … Brilliant’ Observer
‘With the deaths of PD James and Ruth Rendell, Val McDermid is the obvious successor as Britain's Queen of Crime. For me, she has already held that title for many years’ The Times
‘McDermid still writes with the telltale verve that's won her the accolade queen of psychological thrillers’ Guardian
‘No one rivals Val McDermid's skill at writing truly terrifying thrillers’ GoodHousekeeping
‘McDermid has created a complex and prickly detective. The relationship intertwines a realistic romance with a solid detective story' Washington Times
‘[She is] fresh and funny with a sparkling sense of time and place’ Literary Review

Val McDermid is a No.1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold more than sixteen million copies. She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009, was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2010. Val writes full time and lives in Edinburgh and the East Neuk of Fife.