Award-winning writer Sarah Hilary's brilliant first novel, featuring DI Marnie Rome.Marnie Rome's life was brutally shattered when her parents fell victim to a horrifying act. Five years on, as a Detective Inspector for the Metropolitan Police, the past has left an indelible mark upon Marnie. But a new case of domestic abuse is about to eclipse everything that has come before... On a visit to a London women's shelter, Marnie and DS Noah Jake arrive to find resident Hope Proctor's husband lying stabbed on the floor. As they struggle to save his life, no one can explain why he took a knife to the refuge, or how the conflict with Hope began. As the investigation develops, the violence spirals, engulfing the other women in the shelter, and Marnie finds herself drawn in to familiar territory. Lives are at the mercy of a truly ferocious force, and it's certain the worst is yet to come...