Product Description

“I took the skull from its evidence bag and gently set it on the stainless steel table. ‘Tell me who you are. . . .’ ” With this silent plea, forensic expert Dr. David Hunter ignites a harrowing murder investigation on a windswept Scottish island, and a tale of menace, sexuality, and revenge unravels—along with the chilling message that a killer has…

Dr. David Hunter should be in London with the woman he loves and a past he can’t quite shake off. Instead, as a favor to a beleaguered cop, Hunter travels to a remote island in the Outer Hebrides to inspect a baffling set of remains. A forensic anthropologist, he has seen bodies destroyed by all forms of violence, but even he is surprised at what he finds: human remains burned beyond recognition—all within the confines of an otherwise undamaged, unoccupied cottage. Local police want to rule the death accidental. But Hunter’s examination of the victim’s charred skull tells him that this woman, no doubt a stranger to the close-knit island of Runa, was murdered by someone nearby.

Within days, two more people are dead by fire. Hunter’s job is to coax the dead into telling their stories—but now that he’s beginning to hear them, he is staggered by the truth. Working with only the barest of clues, he peels back the layers of mysteries past and present, exposing the tangle of secrets at the heart of this strange community—from the deceptions of a wealthy couple to the bitterness of an ex-cop and the secrets of a lonely single mother—as a tale of rage and perversion comes full circle…then explodes in a series of violent acts and shocking twists.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #603719 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-25
• Released on: 2007-09-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In the exceptional second thriller from British author Beckett to feature forensic anthropologist David Hunter (after 2006's The Chemistry of Death), the former GP investigates a suspicious death on Runa, a small island in the Hebrides. With the mainland official force preoccupied with a horrific train wreck that might have been the work of terrorists, Hunter must try to determine whether the victim was murdered. On Runa, Hunter finds a badly burned corpse with the feet and one hand oddly untouched, in a cottage that shows little fire damage. Could spontaneous combustion have been the cause? The suspense mounts along with the body count and the approach of a storm that cuts off the island from the outside world. While some plot elements may be a little too close to those of the prior book, Beckett does them better here, and is especially adept at blending first- and third-person narratives to heighten the tension. (Oct.)
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From Booklist
Beckett's dynamite follow-up to The Chemistry of Death (2006) takes David Hunter back to his roots as a forensic anthropologist. This go-round is both better written and a good deal more intriguing, with twists and turns up to the very last dramatic page. Called in to examine a badly burned body found in a deserted hut on a small island in the Hebrides, David hopes he won't be delayed long. His relationship with Jenny, whom he met in the first book, is deteriorating, and he's feeling burned out. Unfortunately, what he discovers is murder, and when a killer storm prevents promised help from arriving, he's left to find out what he can with only a bad-tempered, alcoholic local copper and a retired officer who lives on the island to help. Dark secrets and long-held resentments erupt in the small community, putting David's life at risk and impeding his efforts at every turn. Forensic details never overwhelm the story, and Beckett is on solid ground when it come to plotting and ratcheting up the tension. His ending is a stunner. Zvirin, Stephanie

Review
“Exceptional.... [Beckett] is especially adept at blending first- and third-person narratives to heighten the tension.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Well-drawn characters and a highly atmospheric closed setting, this is a traditional detective ... updated for modern tastes and with a likable detective.”—Denver Post