In the peaceful Lakeland village of Old Sawrey, murder strikes. Warren Howe, landscape gardener and Lothario, is murdered with his own scythe. When it comes to identifying suspects, the police find they are spoiled for choice. But it becomes impossible to fasten guilt on anyone.

Years later, Hannah Scarlett, head of Cumbria's cold case review team, receives an anonymous tip-off suggesting that Warren was killed by his wife. Yet Tina Howe had an alibi for the crime. As her investigation progresses, Hannah finds herself rattling Old Sawrey's skeletons, with deadly results.

Meanwhile, Daniel Kind is baffled by the mysterious lay-out of his overgrown cottage garden. He is convinced there is a meaning to the design of the old grouns, and turns for advice to Warren Howe's former partner, Peter Flint - who now lives with Tina Howe.

The case brings Hannah and Daniel closer together, but as they wrestle with their consciences as well as with the puzzles, a ruthless killer is preparing to strike again. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Synopsis
In the peaceful village of Old Sawrey, set in the idyllic Lake District, a murderer strikes. Warren Howe, a husband and father of two, is brutally slaughtered with his own scythe by a mysterious hooded figure. The police manage to identify several suspects, but due to the lack of evidence they fail to make an arrest. Years later, an anonymous tip-off sparks the interest of DCI Hannah Scarlett, who heads the local Cold Case Review Team. Scarlett's investigations lead her to suspect Howe's widow, Tina. Meanwhile, someone is sending vicious poison pen letters to Tina and her two children. With the help of a historian, and his information on the goings on in his unusual garden, Inspector Scarlett delves deeper and deeper in her quest for the truth, discovering old sins that are casting long shadows. The clues are eventually pieced together, leading to a shocking revelation that will change Hannah's life forever.

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