‘A rising star in British crime fiction’ — Irish Independent 

‘A masterly storyteller’ — L J Ross

‘Bryndza knows how to keep the pages turning’ — The Times

‘Do you believe Will took his own life?’ The question echoed off the white tiles in the hospital’s cold, cavernous morgue, and I studied my husband in peaceful repose. I leaned down and put my forehead against his. Silent tears ran down my cheeks. They felt hot, and he felt so cold. It was five days since his death, and my grief felt heavy, like a vast, dark mass pushing down on me.

It’s always brave when a writer of successful series’ writes their first standalone – did Robert Bryndza pull it off? Hell yeah! This is a fast-paced edge of your seat rollercoaster of a book. — Donna, Netgalley reviewer

What a Phenomenal story! A high-octane page turner. I loved Maggie and the scary island setting was great. — Sian, Netgalley reviewer

I read it in one sitting as every chapter stopped at a cliff hanger in the narrative that made me read the next one. A brilliant book that I am happy to recommend to any fan of a good thriller. — Patricia, Netgalley reviewer

On the edge of a remote Croatian island, where every shadow hides a secret, Maggie’s world is about to unravel.

From the international bestselling author of the Detective Erika Foster and Kate Marshall series, comes a gripping standalone psychological thriller where nothing is as it seems — and the truth can be deadly.

Did Will take his own life – or was he murdered?

The question echoes through the morgue as Maggie presses her forehead to her husband’s cold skin. Five days ago, Will was alive. Now he’s dead—and the police insist it was suicide.

Maggie knows that can’t be right. Will wasn’t depressed. He had plans for the future. A future that didn’t include dying alone.

Desperate for answers, Maggie retreats to their secluded holiday home on a remote Croatian island. There, she discovers a hidden letter in Will’s handwriting—one that hints at a shadowy past he never shared, and a secret someone will kill to keep buried.

As Maggie digs deeper, the island seems to close in around her. She’s being watched. Followed. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes.

Because Will’s death wasn’t the end of the story.

It was only the beginning.