Stephen Larkin, an angry, burnt-out investigative journalist, is engaging in a bit of morally correct political blackmail when he gets asked to investigate a case of child abuse in an inner city daycare centre. His friend, Detective Inspector Henry Moir, is looking for a missing boy. When the child turns up dead the two cases converge in an emotionally explosive climax. What a great book. Cracking pace, great dialogue, characters you get to care about, told with a hard-boiled prose style that has more depth and emotionalism than you would expect. Waites has taken a difficult subject matter and, without coming across preachy or worthy, turns out an exciting read that nevertheless doesn't pull its punches. There are some really exciting new crime writers being published in Britain now, and with his first book, Mary's Prayer, Martyn Waites showed he was definitely a name to watch. This one confirms the promise and if he keeps going like this, it won't be long before he's up there with the best. I flat out loved this book and wished it was twice as long.