In this, his landmark fortieth novel, Quintin Jardine tells the remarkable story of a man's quest for justice - at any cost.
1818, Carluke, Lanarkshire.
Mathew Fleming returns home to Scotland following heroic service at the Battle of Waterloo. After seven years away, he is a ghostly presence to those he left behind.
But Mathew is ambitious and soon becomes a man of influence in his county and beyond. Yet through all his success, he still hides the loss of his one true love.
When a terrible act of murder occurs, Mathew must choose between the rule of blood and the rule of law. And as a man of honour with a warrior's instincts, he embarks on a journey of vengeance that will test every sinew of his faith in mankind...
Read MoreVery engaging as well as ingenious, and the unraveling of the mystery is excellently done - Allan MassieWell constructed, fast-paced, Jardine's narrative has many an ingenious twist and turn - ObserverRemarkably assured, raw-boned, a tour de force - New York Times