The woman's dark hair was spread out concealing her face, but her body was on display, her skin horribly white against the mud smeared over her in uneven patches like a ghastly spa treatment.In the midst of a murder investigation surrounding the suspicious death of a sex worker in York, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel finds herself facing a dual challenge. Not only does she need to untangle the dark secrets behind the victim's demise, but she's also plagued by worry for her partner and colleague, Ian Peterson, who has mysteriously vanished.As Steel grows closer to her new DS, Matthew, little does she know that Ian is deep undercover in the dangerous underworld of London. His mission? To expose a criminal gang who have set their sights on targeting her.With every passing moment, the tension escalates. When a second victim emerges in York, the urgency of the investigation heightens.Meanwhile, Ian's life hangs in the balance as a sadistic psychopath threatens his very existence. Failure could spell doom not only for Ian but also for Geraldine herself.As the stakes reach a boiling point, Geraldine must navigate treacherous paths and face her own fears to unravel the truth. Will she and Ian emerge unscathed from the shadows, or will their lives be irrevocably shattered?

Leigh Russell is the author of the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series: Cut Short, Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead, Fatal Act, Killer Plan, Murder Ring, Deadly Alibi, Class Murder, Death Rope, Rogue Killer, Deathly Affair, Deadly Revenge, Evil Impulse, Deep Cover, Guilt Edged and the upcoming Fake Alibi. The series has sold over a million copies worldwide. Cut Short was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association (CWA) John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award, and Leigh has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTunes with Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People\'s Book Prize. Leigh is chair of the CWA\'s Debut Dagger Award judging panel and is a Royal Literary Fellow. Leigh studied at the University of Kent, gaining a Masters degree in English and American Literature. She is married with two daughters and a granddaughter, and lives in London.