Synopsis
WHEN A CHILD DISAPPEARS, NO SECRET IS SAFE . . .
*THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH*
'This is McIlvanney at his masterful best' - DAILY MAIL
'A moving and absorbing dive into grief and love, and how far a parent would go to save their child' - OBSERVER
'Fascinating, moving, disturbing, and surely Liam McIlvanney's best novel to date' - SCOTSMAN
'Heart-stopping and heart-rending, this is Liam McIlvanney's best novel yet' VAL MCDERMID
THE POIGNANT AND BRILLIANTLY CLEVER NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING CRIME AUTHOR, LIAM McILVANNEY.
Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with rich, fulfilling lives. They have a son they adore, a house on the beach and a safe, friendly community in a picture-postcard town.
Until, one day, Bonnie the labrador comes in from the beach alone. Their son, Rory, has gone - the only trace left behind is a single black sandal.
Their lives don't fall apart immediately. While there's still hope, they dig deep and try to carry on.
But as desperation mounts, arms around shoulders become fingers pointed - at friends, family, strangers, each other. Without any answers, only questions remain. Who can they trust? How far will they go to find out what happened to Rory?
And the deadliest question of all: what could be worse than your child disappearing?
When the truth begins to emerge, they find themselves in a world they could barely have imagined.
'Beautifully written, this is easily one of the finest crime novels I've read in a very long time' C.M. EWAN
*THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH*
'This is McIlvanney at his masterful best' - DAILY MAIL
'A moving and absorbing dive into grief and love, and how far a parent would go to save their child' - OBSERVER
'Fascinating, moving, disturbing, and surely Liam McIlvanney's best novel to date' - SCOTSMAN
'Heart-stopping and heart-rending, this is Liam McIlvanney's best novel yet' VAL MCDERMID
THE POIGNANT AND BRILLIANTLY CLEVER NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING CRIME AUTHOR, LIAM McILVANNEY.
Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with rich, fulfilling lives. They have a son they adore, a house on the beach and a safe, friendly community in a picture-postcard town.
Until, one day, Bonnie the labrador comes in from the beach alone. Their son, Rory, has gone - the only trace left behind is a single black sandal.
Their lives don't fall apart immediately. While there's still hope, they dig deep and try to carry on.
But as desperation mounts, arms around shoulders become fingers pointed - at friends, family, strangers, each other. Without any answers, only questions remain. Who can they trust? How far will they go to find out what happened to Rory?
And the deadliest question of all: what could be worse than your child disappearing?
When the truth begins to emerge, they find themselves in a world they could barely have imagined.
'Beautifully written, this is easily one of the finest crime novels I've read in a very long time' C.M. EWAN
Details
04 June 2026
9781804186961Imprint: Zaffre
