She was someone’s daughter . . .

In 1930, the killing of a Soho prostitute is hardly a priority for Scotland Yard. But when a second, similar murder comes to light, and then a third, everything changes. Cuthbert and his team find themselves in a nightmarish world of people-trafficking, prostitution and drug use amongst the upper classes.

Using all his forensic skills, Cuthbert sets out to solve one of the most baffling cases of his career. One final question remains unanswered until a faded photograph reveals its tragic secret.

Longlisted for the McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2025.

Prizes

Long-listed for The McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2025

'Deeply immersive, it is beautifully plotted and written... The twists and turns are exquisite and the false summits the author leads his readers over are artfully done'

'Cuthbert is a brilliant creation - part Sherlock, but also part Watson... a brilliant mind but also a compassionate and skilled doctor who cares deeply for the victims he encounters but also for the living

'This novel incorporates the best qualities of a thriller, historical fiction and a crime procedural and is well worth your time'

'The vivid and fascinating writing bringing these characters and cases to the page made us keep turning the pages'

'The great strength of the series is its technical authenticity. Like his protagonist, Jack Cuthbert, Gaw is a forensic pathologist and wrote textbooks on the subject before becoming a novelist. He not only knows his stuff, but he knows how to communicate it'

Allan Gaw studied medicine at Glasgow University and trained as a pathologist. Having worked in the NHS and universities in the UK and the US, he took early retirement and now devotes his time to writing. His published non-fiction works include medical textbooks and magazine articles on topics as diverse as the thalidomide story, the medical challenges of space travel and the medico-legal consequences of the Hillsborough disaster.