A young woman’s body is discovered, propped up against a bin, discarded like a piece of rubbish, outside a Chinese Takeaway in the City of London.

DS Jack Mackinnon’s first outing as acting SIO on a prominent case is not for the faint-hearted. The young woman’s arms are covered with odd marks, and he is convinced they provide a clue to the killer’s identity.

But the pieces of the puzzle are slow to come together, and when another woman is abducted, the stakes are raised. There’s a method to the killer’s madness – but can Jack get to the truth before another life is lost?