The Mermaid's Cry

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 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 Griffiths

"Atmospheric, beautifully written and steeped in a haunting sense of place. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough" — Rod Reynolds

DI Ben Kitto returns…

A coast in celebration

When 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 crowd

A 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 reckoning

Suspicions 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

"Devotees of this highly visual series have come to expect, there are plenty of well-realised characters to enjoy" — Lynne Patrick