'As chilling as an Icelandic winter' S. J. Bolton

'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland' The Times

The discovery of a corpse washed up on a beach in an Icelandic backwater sparks a series of events that propels the village of Hvalvik's police sergeant Gunnhildur into deep waters.

Although under pressure to deal with the matter quickly, she is suspicious that the man's death was no accident and once she has identified the body, sets about investigating his final hours.

The case takes Gunnhildur away from her village and into a cosmopolitan world of shady deals, government corruption and violence. She finds herself alone and less than welcome in this hostile environment as she tries to find out who it was that made sure the young man drowned on a dark night one hundred kilometres from where he should have been - and why.

The first chilling and atmospheric thriller in Quentin Bates's Icelandic crime series. A dark page-turner perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell and Soren Sveistrup's The Chestnut Man.

Praise for Quentin Bates:

'A great read - leaves you craving the next installment' Yrsa Siguroardottir

'A perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire' The Bookbag

'Well written and absorbing' Woman's Way

'Captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavik mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists' Booklist

'[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity' Publishers Weekly

'A superb new series' Eurocrime