#14 of 18-novel series
When a former pupil attending a school reunion at the prestigious Griffin School is found dead it is at first assumed Adam Ainsley died from a simple heart attack while out for a run in the nearby woods.
But the retired ex-professional rugby player was a fit young man in his thirties, who hadn't been near a doctor for years, so a post-mortem is called for. The PM's toxicology report shows that Ainsley was poisoned, but whether by his own hand or that of another's is far from clear.
When DI Joe Rafferty and his partner, Dafyd Llewellyn, are called in to investigate, they find plenty of simmering emotions amongst Ainsley's co-reunees. It seems Adam Ainsley, the school's sporting hero, had made a lasting impression, and not always for his prowess on the sporting field.
And when the detective pair delves deeper, they find reasons for the lasting resentment. But how to prove which one of the ex-pupils has let feelings fester for twenty years, to end in murder, isn't so readily apparent.
And Rafferty's Ma, Kitty Rafferty, hasn't chosen her dates well for organising a reunion of her own. Coping with a high-profile murder case at work, and temporary guests at home ensures Rafferty finds little peace to think constructively in either place.
Will this be the investigation that culminates in Superintendent Bradley finally achieving his aim of stripping Rafferty of his hard-won inspector rank?
