Publisher's Summary

A neophyte journalist becomes intimately involved in her first assignment: a brutal murder. This is the explosive start of a new series by the author of the acclaimed Garnethill trilogy.

Little Brian Wilcox's murder is the hottest story in Scotland. Every major newspaper crowds its pages with stories examining the crime from every angle. If only Paddy Meehan could get a scoop on the case. A nationally syndicated story would surely launch her fledgling journalism career out of the free local rag she's been working at.

But when the connection Paddy had been hoping for finally comes, it only threatens her career and family. Callum, her fiance Sean's young cousin, is implicated in Brian's murder, and when Paddy foolishly confides in her equally ambitious coworker, Heather, all hell breaks loose. Heather betrays her and sells the story to a major newspaper, making the entire Meehan clan turn on Paddy. The only way Paddy can redeem herself in their eyes is to clear Callum's name. As Glasgow buzzes with the scandal, Paddy notices a similarity between Brian's murder and the murder of a local boy several years earlier. Using her investigative skills, Paddy sets out to solve the case, at any cost.

©2005 Denise Mina; (P)2005 HighBridge Company