In one of her most compelling mysteries, bestselling novelist Elizabeth George explores the darker landscapes of human relationships. Here she tells a gripping, suspenseful story of betrayal and devotion, war and remembrance, love and loss . . . and the higher truths to which we must all ultimately answer.

An isolated beach on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel is the scene of the murder of Guy Brouard, one of Guernsey's wealthiest inhabitants and its main benefactor. Forced as a child to flee the Nazis in Paris, Brouard was engaged in his latest project when he died: a museum honoring those who resisted the German occupation of the island during World War II. It is from this period that his murderer may well have come. But there are others on Guernsey who want Guy Brouard dead. As forensic scientist Simon St. James and his wife, Deborah, soon discover, seemingly everyone on the history-haunted island has something to hide. . . . And behind all the lies and alibis, a killer is lurking.