A Private Investigation

Get ready to be hooked by the eighth thrilling and atmospheric murder mystery from the million-copy-selling crime writer: DC Smith is ready to retire. But first, he must take one last look into the eyes of a serial killer... 'Pitch-perfect crime writing.' DAILY EXPRESS'Had me gripped from the very start to the extremely satisfying ending.' ***** Reader Review'Where has Peter Grainger been my whole life?' ***** Reader Review'I read a LOT of murder mysteries and this series is one of the best!' ***** Reader ReviewWhen fourteen-year-old Zoe Johnson doesn’t come home on a Monday night in early December, the alarm bells in Kings Lake Central police station do not ring straight away – after all, she’s from the Dockmills, one of the toughest estates in the town. But for Detective Sergeant DC Smith, due to retire in just three weeks’ time, there are some strange echoes of the case that has haunted him for the past thirteen years. Maybe it’s simply his over-developed sense of irony, or maybe, in his final days as a police officer, Smith will once again come face-to-face with the worst criminal he ever put away. ‘Ensconced in Kings Lake, in the company of Smith and his team, I didn’t want to leave.' FINANCIAL TIMES'The books are comforting, the writing is subtle and the plots are gripping.' THE TIMES

• Publication date: 20 August 2026
• Page count: 384
• Dimensions: Height 196 mm; Width 129 mm; Thickness 26 mm
• Publisher: Cornerstone
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9781804961490