Liz Vincent

The Staffordshire villages are giving DCI Vic Hardcastle a headache. As well as a couple of unsolved murders, two remand prisoners have just escaped. One of them, Tony King, is a dangerous career criminal. The race is on to capture him, especially when Vic learns that he’s out to get his ex-wife,, Michelle, whom he blames for his arrest. Vic’s attention is diverted by a family tragedy, so DS Stuart Young takes over the search for King, who is now involved with Michelle’s sister. The trail leads to an industrial estate, where King is holding the two women. A gunshot is heard, and King is found dead inside. One of the sisters killed him. But which one?

In the Staffordshire village of Hawksmere, Clive Morrison is desperate to end his current failing relationship – especially as he has met someone else. When he returns home from seeing her and finds the police at his house, he can’t believe what they tell him. A body has been found in his garden. When the postmortem confirms murder, he becomes the prime suspect.But did he do it?DI Vic Hardcastle and DS Stuart Young are assigned to the case, but they can’t break Clive’s alibi. Things become even more mysterious when his new partner dies in a frenzied attack at her home. Again, Clive’s story is rock solid.What is going on?Then Clive is discovered, stabbed to death. Vic and Stuart are stunned.Now it looks as though they are dealing with yet another motiveless murder.