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...
'Very engaging as well as ingenious, and the unraveling of the mystery is excellently done.'
- Scotsman, Allan Massie
'Well constructed, fast-paced, Jardine's narrative has many an ingenious twist and turn.' -Observer
'Remarkably assured, raw-boned, a tour de force.'
-New York Times
Author
About Quintin Jardine
Twenty years ago Quintin Jardine abandoned the life of a media relations consultant for the more morally acceptable world of murder and mayhem. Over thirty published novels later, it's a decision that he has never regretted. Happily married, he splits his time between Scotland and Spain.