Macmillan | 2016 (17 November) | 512p | Review copy | Buy the book

At long last DCI Kate Daniels is going to put herself first. She is just a day or two away from a long period of leave and she knows just how she’s going to spend it – repairing the relationships that matter the most. But little goes rarely to plan in this job, so why should Kate be surprised when the body of a young man is found hanging from an ancient gallows? There’s something especially poignant about this case. Kate was one of many who saw this lad win a wrestling competition at a country show the day before. He was in the prime of his life. How did he end up hanging from the gallows? And who’ll look after the case when Kate’s on leave? Will she be able to let it go?

The…