Fresh from maternity leave, Dunedin detective Sam Shephard investigates the unsolved murder of a highly esteemed church minister … with potentially deadly consequences. New Queen of New Zealand Crime, Vanda Symon, returns with a page-turning, riveting new Sam Shephard mystery…

`A series that has gradually become deeper and defter … New Zealand has a new Ngaio Marsh’ The Times

`What a page-turner! I adored DS Sam Shepherd … her irreverence for authority while always alert to the job in hand. A fantastically riveting read´ Liz Nugent

`If you've never met New Zealand detective Sam Shephard, you're in for a treat … a one-sitting read´ Ann Cleeves

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On her first day back from maternity leave, Detective Sam Shephard is thrown straight into a cold-case investigation – the unsolved murder of a highly respected Anglican Priest in Dunedin.

The case has been a thorn in the side of the Police hierarchy, and for her boss it's personal.

With all the witness testimony painting a picture of a dedicated church and family man, what possible motive could there have been for his murder?

But when Sam starts digging deeper into the case, it becomes apparent someone wants the sins of the past to remain hidden. And when a new potential witness to the crime is found brutally murdered, there is pressure from all quarters to solve the case before anyone else falls prey.