The ancient English town of Lafferton is shaken once again. A little boy has disappeared—he was kidnapped right from the front door of his own home. The townspeople are in confusion; the parents are struggling to deal with horror and shock. The case is handed over to Senior Police Inspector Simon Serraller. But even Simon’s own heart has not been in the right place lately. A year ago, he buried his subordinate, Freya Graffham—toward whom he had begun to feel deep emotions. His former lover is pursuing him, and he doesn’t know what to do. On top of that, he worries about the fate of his disabled sister Martha; as it soon turns out—he has every reason to worry… The famous writer of mystical thrillers, Susan Hill, stuns readers with a new literary detective story. In the second novel about Senior Inspector Simon Serraller, the residents of the British town of Lafferton are thrown into panic by the kidnapping of a small boy. With magnificent literary language, Hill conveys human emotions and experiences, painting very realistic portraits of people who could very well be your neighbors.