Merrily Watkins is the most singular of crime fiction protagonists... As ever [Rickman]'s supremely skillful at teasing out the menace that lies behind English folk customs and legends and weaving them into a compelling contemporary narrative. - Mail on Sunday



IN THE DARK HEART OF THE COUNTRYSIDE...





When Aidan Lloyd's bleak funeral is followed by a nocturnal ritual in the fog, it becomes all too clear that Aidan, son of a wealthy farmer, will not be resting in peace.





Aidan's hidden history has reignited an old feud, and a rural tradition begins to display its sinister side.





It's already a fraught time for Merrily Watkins, her future threatened by a bishop committed to restricting her role as diocesan exorcist for Hereford. Suddenly there are events she can't talk about as she and her daughter Jane find themselves potentially on the wrong side of the law.





In the city of Hereford, DI Frannie Bliss, investigating a shooting, must confront the apparent growth of organised crime, also contaminating the countryside.





On the Welsh border, the old ways are at war with the modern world. As the days shorten and the fog gives way to ice and snow, a savage killing draws Merrily Watkins into a conflict centred on one of Britain's most famous medieval churches, its walls laden with ancient symbolism.



Phil Rickman lives on the Welsh border where he writes and presents the book programme Phil the Shelf on BBC Radio Wales. He is the hugely popular author of the Merrily Watkins series and the John Dee papers.



No-one writes better of the shadow-frontier between the supernatural and the real world.



Ancient history, violent deaths, feuds, intrigues and murder. A most original sleuth.



Phil Rickman is one of my all-time favourites. I love everything he's done.



[Rickman] is supremely skilful... a compelling contemporary narrative.



Tight with atmosphere, thick with latent violence... Brilliantly eerie.



Compassionate, original and sharply contemporary, Rickman's crime series is one of the best around.



Complex, absorbing, fascinating...



Few writers blend the ancient and supernatural with the modern and criminal better than Rickman.



The layers, the characters, the humour, the spookiness - perfect.



First rate crime with demons that go bump in the night.



Classic mysteries... [which] cleverly illuminate the darkest corners of our imaginations.



Engrossing and beautifully dark... a cracking good read ensues.