The stage is set。 Marooned overnight by a snowstorm in a grand country house are a cast of characters and a setting that even Agatha Christie might recognize – a vicar， an Army major， a Dowager， a sleuth and his sidekick - except that the sleuth is Jackson Brodie， and the ‘sidekick’ is DC Reggie Chase。



The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value， a Turner， some years ago。 The housekeeper， Sophie， who disappeared the same night， is suspected of stealing it。



Jackson， a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm， has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel， a portrait， taken from the house of an elderly widow， on the morning she died。 The suspect this time is the widow’s carer， Melanie。 Is this a coincidence or is there a connection？ And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold？ The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve。 And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace。



All the while， in a bid to make money， Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house。



A brilliantly plotted， supremely entertaining， and utterly compulsive tour de force from a great writer at the height of her powers。