It is 1932 and John Madden, former Scotland Yard Inspector, is now a farmer in the peaceful Surrey countryside. However, his peace is shattered when he discovers the disfigured body of a young girl hidden in a wood, and is convinced the killer has struck before…When a second body is found, Madden knows there is a multiple killer at large. Allying himself with his old colleagues, and against the wishes of his anxious wife, he immerses himself in one more case. But he will have to stay one step ahead of a killer who has been covering his tracks for many years. And soon significant links are discovered in Germany, where the Nazis are on the brink of power…