The Trail is a crime thriller. A missing person enquiry leads Manchester DCI Rick Castle to Nepal.

Manchester. DCI Rick Castle is inspecting his bees when his boss phones. A minor cannabis dealer has been reported missing. His father’s a war hero.

Rick flies to Nepal, and heads up the trail. Through villages of staring children and fluttering prayer-flags. Brilliant blue skies, and snow-capped mountains.

He finds a dead body.

Then a second.

Nothing in this world was ever straightforward. Nothing.

 Finally, he puts himself in the firing line, and has a decision to make. Is it the right one? The moral one?

"Intelligent and pacy thriller . . . a taut, keenly-observed tale of revenge, perseverance and the struggle against injustice." Paula Hawkins, author of Girl on a Train

"The Trail is a stunning debut from an exciting new addition to the world of crime fiction. James Ellson combines depth of characterisation and authentic police procedural detail with a talent for evoking a sense of place, particularly in his vivid portrayal of Nepal. An original plot lifts Ellson's first book above the level of most contemporary crime novels. And readers will be longing to hear more from his complex protagonist DCI Rick Castle!" Stephen Booth, author of the Cooper and Fry crime fiction series