Fearless freelance reporter Shona Sandison might be about to get her biggest scoop yet--if she can make it to the end of the investigation alive. The third installment of the Shona Sandison Investigations is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, John le Carré, and Denise Mina. In a post-COVID world, investigative reporter Shona Sandison is seeking meaning and the next big story; her reclusive contact inside the government has promised her something huge, but she has no idea what kind of danger she's in. Meanwhile, her old journalist friend Hector Stricken has taken on a position in communications for a new state agency, where he stumbles across a sinister, top-secret project codenamed Grendel. Finally, an aging former MI6 director now living in seclusion processes his grief for his murdered son and ponders revenge. Connecting these stories is a conspiracy rooted deep in the United Kingdom's most powerful institutions, a rot so deep that the only way to cure it may be to cut it out--or burn the whole thing down. Written in beautiful, immersive language and peopled with iconic characters grappling with issues far larger than themselves, Philip Miller's new mystery depicts the reality of the modern fight against state oppression.