Actor Gwydion Morgan's dramatic appearance at Jessica Mayhew's psychotherapy practice coincides with a turbulent time in her own life - her husband has just admitted he's been unfaithful. Her new client is good-looking and talented, but tormented by an intriguing phobia, which Jessica is determined to investigate. On an emergency visit to the Morgans' remote cliff-top mansion, Jessica discovers that Gwydion's former au pair was mysteriously drowned in the bay nearby. Could the tragedy somehow be linked to Gwydion's disorder? As the quest to help her client deepens, Jessica finds herself becoming embroiled in the Morgans' poisonous family dynamic. At the same time, she has to deal with the demands of her own domestic life: her struggle to keep her marriage intact, as well as her older daughter's increasingly defiant behaviour. And then, of course, there is the growing attraction she feels towards her new client ...

'A finely crafted combination of Gothic mystery and the all-too-believable but threatening everyday' John Harvey bestselling author of Good Bait

`A tightly focussed psychological drama . . . the perfect backdrop for a tale of raw emotions and explosive rage. I look forward to more outings for Williams' cool, clever, yet flawed psychological sleuth' Independent

`I was hooked . . . Williams can write' Telegraph

`Accomplished debut . . . a pacy, intriguing psychological thriller'Guardian

After studying philosophy at college, Charlotte Williams went on to work as an arts journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines as well as making radio documentaries and, later, writing radio dramas for the BBC. Under her maiden name, Charlotte Greig, she also recorded several albums of original folk music. Sadly she was diagnosed with cancer shortly after finishing the first draft of her second crime novel in the Jessica Mayhew series, Black Valley, and died shortly before publication.