Detective James Corstorphine's blood ran cold. His wife never left her clinic door unlocked. Inside, her receptionist sat bound and gagged, tears streaming down her face. "He's taken Shamila."

But Shamila's abduction is just the beginning. When human remains are discovered dressed as a scarecrow in a Highland farmer's field, Corstorphine realises the cases are connected. The victim worked at Carstairs State Hospital - the same institution where Shamila once treated the criminally insane.

As Corstorphine traces the killer's obsession with Shamila, another body is found - a young woman strangled in the village, her face hidden beneath a scarecrow's mask.

With the ancient festival of Samhain approaching and shadows lengthening across the glens, a book of cryptic clues arrives at Corstorphine's door. As Corstorphine races to decode the killer's macabre messages can he save Shamila before she becomes the final victim?

An atmospheric page-turning Scottish crime thriller from CWA New Blood Dagger Longlist author Andrew James Greig. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Ian Rankin, and Ann Cleeves.