by Hugh C. Rae
First published 1999
Norman Land came to the Scottish moors for a peaceful summer at his country retreat. Instead, he unearths the bodies of two Glasgow schoolgirls hidden beneath the heather. Inspector McGraig arrives to investigate the brutal murders, but the remote Highland community guards its secrets closely. As McGraig digs deeper into the lives of the locals, a disturbing pattern emerges. The killer's twisted psychology suggests these deaths may not be the end. McGraig races against time and the isolation of the moorlands to prevent another tragedy. The investigation forces him to confront the darkness that can fester in even the most seemingly tranquil places, where ancient landscapes hide modern horrors.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: isolation, secrets
Setting: Balnesmoor, Glasgow, Highland, Scotland
Period: 20th-century
240 pages · Hardcover · Black Dagger Crime
Content warnings: violence