When the naked body of violinist Anne-Marie Austen is found, Detective Inspector Bill Slider has depressingly few clues to her murder. Struggling with a complex case, Slider also faces turmoil at home when he must choose between his wife and an exciting new love. A rich and powerful debut.

At the BBC-TV studios in London, a music critic is found in the men's room with his throat slashed minutes before he was due to appear on a show. Sergeant Mills sifts through the suspects, ranging from a jealous wife to a vindictive musician.

Bill Slider and his team investigate the death of a prominent literary agent in this intriguing contemporary mystery. When one of Londons best-known literary agents is found dead in strange circumstances, having fallen headlong from his office window, DCI Slider is under pressure from the Borough Commander to confirm a case of accidental death. But when the evidence points to murder, Slider and his team find themselves uncovering some decidedly scandalous...

"The woman lies dead at the foot of the stairs. It's obvious what happened: she tripped and fell. But PC D'Arblay, called to the dilapidated West London villa by an anonymous tip-off, can't shake the feeling that's exactly what someone wants him to think. It was the deep head wound that killed her - but her dying fall left no blood trail, so what was it she hit her head on? DCI Slider, of the Shepherd's Bush murder squad, is soon convinced D'Arblay's...