Last Witness

'Whitehouse is a skilful, attentive writer' The Guardian BODY FOUND AT MOSELEY BOG IS KEY WITNESS IN SHOCKING CASE When 18-year-old Ben Renshaw is found dead in ancient city woodland, DCI Robin Lyons finds herself at the heart of one of the most contentious cases in Birmingham's recent history. The previous summer, at a house party spun out of control, Renshaw and his best friend Will Laurimore witnessed Alistair Heywood, son of a rich and influential local family, commit an act of shocking violence against a classmate. Their testimony resulted in Heywood's conviction - but only after a sustained and vicious intimidation campaign. Is Ben's murder now an act of vengeance from the powerful Heywood family or the beginning of a bloody new chapter that will claim lives on all sides? Or is the explanation - as the Heywoods claim - something entirely different? To find out, Robin will have to negotiate the city's networks of power and influence while walking dangerous lines of her own. For her daughter, Lennie, faces legal jeopardy, too, but protecting her may imperil the only other person Robin has ever really loved: DCS Samir Jafferi, once her boyfriend, now her boss at Force Homicide. It will also call into question values Robin has held all her life. From the bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club choice Before We Met, comes a compulsive, emotional and timely new thriller, perfect for fans of Jane Casey and Susie Steiner. 'Whitehouse is a superb storyteller, whose sleight of hand and sly misdirections have you leaping all the wrong conclusions from the outset' The Independent 'Whitehouse writes marvellously in an emotionally hypersensitive, lyrical, Maggie O'Farrell sort of way' Daily Mail