A complex and deeply satisfying tale...one part traditional English whodunit and one part shadowy corporate thriller. -Publishers Weekly (starred review) From Reginald Hill, acclaimed mystery writer and winner of the prestigious Diamond Dagger Award, comes a brilliant psychological story of a mysterious death that echoes one in the past. Prominent businessman Pal Maciver locked himself in his study and shot himself. It´s an open-and-shut case, as far as Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel is concerned. Except...Maciver´s father died in an almost identical manner ten years earlier, and Fat Andy was the investigating officer. Pal´s strange and strained relationship with his beautiful, enigmatic stepmother, Kay Kafka, also raises warning flags. And the family´s shady corporate dealings carry two apparent acts of self-slaughter far beyond the borders of Yorkshire, causing policeman Peter Pascoe to question his superior´s reticence...and his motives.