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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Financial fraud; some violence when the investigation becomes dangerous
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Barely any
Mild content
Emotional Intensity
Some
The specific invisibility of financial crime — how ordinary it looks from the outside and how deeply damaging it is to real people's lives
What this book is about
Kate Brannigan is hired by a Manchester building firm to investigate suspected housing fraud — properties being sold on false pretenses through a network of nominees. Val McDermid's second Kate Brannigan novel is her most focused on financial crime, following a money trail through the Manchester property market with the series' characteristic attention to how crime operates through ordinary commercial structures. The Brannigan books are lighter than McDermid's Tony Hill novels — Kate's voice is dryer, the crimes more institutional — and this entry establishes the series' particular niche in crime fiction.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
second Kate Brannigan novel by Val McDermid
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