Author: Rhodes, Kate
Crime & mystery
Published on 16 July 2026 by Orenda Books in the United Kingdom.
Paperback | 276 pages
198 x 129 |
During Cornwall's Dark Sky Festival, children begin to disappear, with mermaid charms left behind. Grieving DI Ben Kitto desperately races to stop a killer before his own young son is next. The bestselling, critically acclaimed Isle of Scilly Mysteries series continues¦A KILLER IS WAITING ON CORNWALL'S DARKEST SHORE¦˜A truly atmospheric series. Every book is pure joy to read' MICHAEL WOOD˜Tense and deftly plotted, the pathos fuelling true suspense' GUARDIAN˜A classy, edge-of-the-seat thriller which will keep you guessing throughout!' B.A. PARIS˜An absolute master of pace, plotting and character' ELLY GRIFFITHSDI BEN KITTO RETURNS¦A COAST IN CELEBRATIONWhen DI Ben Kitto sees a baby thrown into Penzance harbour, he prays it's a trick of the light. But the threat is real. The child survives “ barely “ and soon a chilling pattern emerges. As the Dark Sky Festival brings dancers, dreamers and stargazers to Cornwall's coast, children begin to vanish.
A KILLER IN THE CROWDA small mermaid figurine is found beside each scene, echoing the legend of the Mermaid of Zennor, who lured a man to his death beneath the waves. Still reeling from a devastating bereavement and determined to protect his young son, Ben is pulled back into the field and into a deadly investigation. When the killer's messages begin arriving at his home, the threat becomes terrifyingly personal.
A FINAL RECKONINGSuspicions fall on familiar faces. When the summer solstice approaches, Ben must confront the boundaries of love, loss and obsession. In a final, desperate chase along the headland, only his bond with Noah “ and the loyalty of his dog, Shadow “ can prevent tragedy from repeating itself.
““““““““““““““““““Praise for Kate Rhodes:˜A twenty-first-century Agatha Christie' JULIA CROUCH˜No one produces more elegantly written work than Rhodes' FINANCIAL TIMES˜Evocative, immersive, twisty' SARAH VAUGHAN˜Gripping, clever and impossible to put down' ERIN KELLY˜Dark, intense, and expertly crafted' RACHEL ABBOTT˜[A] superb series' DAILY MAIL˜A truly absorbing, chilling story' PEOPLE'S FRIEND˜Kate Rhodes directs her cast of suspects with consummate skill, keeping us guessing right to the heartbreaking end' LOUISE CANDLISH˜A vividly realised protagonist whose complex and harrowing history rivals the central crime storyline' SOPHIE HANNAH˜Expertly weaves a sense of place and character into a tense and intriguing story' METRO˜The whole book tingles with tension. I hope it does for the Scilly Isles what Ann Cleeves did for Shetland' MEL MCGRATH˜The Mermaid's Cry is my favourite type of crime novel - atmospheric, beautifully written and steeped in a haunting sense of place. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' ROD REYNOLDS