In May 2013, St Ives farmer Philip goes missing on his way to meet a friend at Halsetown Inn. On the tenth anniversary of his disappearance and frustrated by a bungled police investigation, his grieving widow Betty commits suicide, leaving a note for her now-orphaned children Tom and Gemma.

Reuniting at Betty's funeral, their children's anger at the failed investigation reaches breaking point. Using their family connections, Gemma's brother-in-law Merrin convinces Inspector Louis Peppiatt to reopen the cold case.

In an investigation that spans decades, unearths family secrets and uncovers emotional betrayals, St Ives' police work to solve a case that has remained a mystery for ten years. Philip's disappearance has triggered a series of events that threaten to expose the inner lives of a seemingly peaceful rural town, teaching its residents that no one can be trusted.

A&B has longstanding success with local crime writers. Deborah's books will appeal to fans of Stephanie Austin and Rebecca Tope and viewers of TV shows like Doc Martin. Deborah Fowler has already attracted a hungry readership for her self published crime novels, now more widely and energetically published by Allison & Busby. Following the success of the first book in the series, a St Ives case of a missing farmer is reopened, unearthing deep-hidden family secrets and emotional betrayals.