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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
Cold case murder investigation; moderate thriller tension; past violence re-examined
Language
Some
Moderate language
Sexual Content
Barely any
No significant sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
Minimal substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
Moderate psychological intensity; institutional cover-up; cold case obsession; confronting historical injustice
What this book is about
When a comatose crash victim has no identification, Scottish detective Karen Pirie's Cold Case Unit investigates and discovers a connection to a twenty-year-old crime that was never properly solved. As Karen digs deeper, she finds powerful people who want the old case to stay cold. The fourth Karen Pirie novel demonstrates McDermid's gift for weaving historical injustice into contemporary detective fiction.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Cold case murder
Institutional cover-up
Scottish setting
Reader Verification
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