When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations that have nothing to do with life as he knows it. In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden, he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another.

The cozy, bucolic town of Ludlow is stunned when one of its most revered and respected citizens --- Ian Druitt, the local deacon --- is accused of a serious crime. Then, while in police custody, Ian is found dead. Did he kill himself? Or was he murdered? When Barbara Havers is sent to Ludlow to investigate the chain of events that led to Ian's death, all the evidence points to suicide. But Barbara can't shake the feeling that she's missing something. She decides to take a closer look at the seemingly ordinary inhabitants of Ludlow --- mainly elderly retirees and college students --- and discovers that almost everyone in town has something to hide.

As Inspector Thomas Lynley investigates the London angle of an ever more darkly disturbing case, his partner, Barbara Havers, is looking behind the peaceful façade of country life to discover a twisted world of desire and deceit. The suicide of William Goldacre is devastating to those left behind who will have to deal with its unintended consequences. Could there be a link between the young man’s leap from a Dorset cliff and a horrific poisoning in Cambridge?

Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and her partner, Inspector Thomas Lynley, discover that the case they've taken on is far more complex than a typical kidnapping, revealing secrets that could have far-reaching effects outside of the investigation. With both her job and the life of a little girl on the line, Barbara must decide what matters most, and how far she’s willing to go to protect it.

Put at risk by her ability to hear "whispers" --- the thoughts of others --- Becca is on the run from her stepfather, whose criminal activities she has discovered. Stranded and alone at Whidbey Island, Becca is soon befriended by a Ugandon orphan adopted by a local family; a kindhearted musician and high school dropout; a recovering alcoholic who takes her in; and Diana, with whom Becca shares a mysterious psychic connection.

Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But Lynley soon discovers a web of family secrets, lies and motives.