It’s my great pleasure to unveil the blurb and cover design for THE CRACKS BENEATH, the upcoming seventh novel in the Anna Scavolini Mysteries series.

A single push is all it takes …

When a young woman’s body is found at the bottom of a flight of steps, suspicion quickly lands on her volatile boyfriend, Sean Kerevan. The evidence is damning, but Sean swears he didn’t do it.

Convinced Sean isn’t getting a fair hearing, solicitor Pamela Macklin asks criminologist Anna Scavolini to investigate the case. Anna has every reason to refuse - from Sean’s violent past to her young son’s ongoing behavioural issues … to the worrying health problems she’s trying her hardest to ignore.

But Anna can’t resist the pull of the mystery. Soon, she’s caught in a web of shifting alibis, family feuds and dangerous men with secrets worth killing for.

To uncover the truth, Anna must face the possibility that Sean’s not the only one with something to hide. And unless she works fast, her search for justice may just cost her more than she’s willing to give …

It’s been a genuine struggle to keep the plot under wraps for these last few months, so to say it’s a relief to finally be able to talk about it publicly might just be the understatement of the year. I genuinely think this is one of the best books I’ve ever written, with a deep, compelling mystery and plenty of angst for the long-suffering Anna.

It’s also been a pleasure to bring back Pamela Macklin, a character I first introduced in Women Who Kill and have been waiting for an excuse to include again ever since (though she did get a very brief cameo in the previous book). “Adorably annoying” is how one reader once described her to me, and I think that sums her up pretty nicely. Her interactions with Anna have always been a particular delight to write, and their scenes together in this one are no exception.

Oh and there’s a pug too …

On the cover front, I think we can all agree that my regular designer, Tim Barber, has once again come up trumps with another stunning, eye-catching cover. I always say there’s nothing like a crane to add that instant feeling of foreboding …

Also, if you look closely, you might be able to spot the Radisson Blu hotel on the corner of Argyle Street and Oswald Street, which briefly features in the novel itself. A sheer coincidence, as I never discussed that detail with Tim, but happy one nonetheless.

If the blurb and cover whet your appetite, you can pre-order The Cracks Beneath on Kindle from the link below to be sure your copy will be delivered to your device the second it’s released on 27 February.

The paperback version will be up for pre-order closer to the actual release date.

I’m really looking forward to getting The Cracks Beneath into your hands in February. In the meantime, stay tuned for a sneak peek at the opening chapters, coming in the new year …