DI Thomas Lynley is still on compassionate leave after the murder of his wife.

The discovery of a body in a Stoke Newington cemetery offers Isabelle Ardery, his temporary replacement at the Met, the chance to make her mark with a high profile murder investigation.

Persuading Lynley back to work seems the best way to guarantee a result: Lynley's team is fiercely loyal to him and Isabelle needs them - and especially Barbara Havers - on side.

The Met is twitchy: a series of PR disasters has undermined its confidence.

Isabelle knows that she'll be operating under the unforgiving scrutiny of the media, so is quick - perhaps too quick - to pin the murder on a convenient suspect.

The murder trail leads Lynley and Havers to the New Forest, and the eventual resolution of the case.

Its roots are in a long-ago act of violence that has poisoned subsequent generations and its outcome is both tragic and shocking.