Tom Killigan is an ex-undercover policeman who is now living in a small fishing village in Cornwall; he is in the Witness Protection Scheme, in hiding from violent people who are intent on revenge. He wants only to keep his head down and to live a quiet life. However, when he returns to his house one evening, after his shift as a barman at the local pub, he discovers Lila, a seventeen-year-old runaway; she has broken into his house and is clearly very scared. He manages to calm her down and discovers that she knows something about the recent disappearance of a young student, on holiday in the area with a group of friends. When Lila saw an appeal from his parents on the television, she realises that Kai, her boyfriend, and Noah, the leader of the commune where she has been staying, are involved. When they discover that she wants to help the parents by telling the police what she knows, she is imprisoned at the commune but manages to escape and breaks into Tom’s cottage to escape from a storm. However, just as she is beginning to tell him what happened, there is a knock on the door and the unexpected caller is Rachel, his liaison officer from the local police, with whom he is having an affair. By the time he manages to persuade her that it isn’t a good time for her to come in, he discovers that Lila has disappeared, taking with her his coat. He doesn’t begrudge her that as it is a cold night and will keep her warm however, as it contains his wallet, which holds everything about his new identity, he has no option but to find her as soon as possible. His search exposes him not only to a much darker side to the community in which he is living, but also to considerable
danger when his determined investigations are perceived as a threat to what is going on.
This story is set against a background of a relatively isolated village community which is struggling to survive in a post-Brexit Britain; residents have turned to some desperate measures to try to ensure a more prosperous future for the village, aiming to win a bidding-war for funds to build a new marina. The village is on the short-list for the award but certain members of the community are not prepared to leave anything to chance, even if this means resorting to a bit of magic by restoring ancient Pagan rituals, old superstitions, witchcraft and sacrifice to increase their chance of success!
Although there were moments in the story when I felt I had to suspend my disbelief that any community would react so wholeheartedly to such desperate measures, I do think there is some truth in the premise that susceptibility to a belief in the efficacy of rituals can be very powerful, especially in those who feel they have been marginalised. I also know, from now living in such a community, that the “old ways” of isolated rural communities often lie not very far below the surface! I think that the author was skilful in his evocation of such a community and I enjoyed his gradual exposure of the influences which were being brought to bear at a time of crisis. He certainly captured the way in which, as history shows us, charismatic figures can abuse their power when people are feeling vulnerable, and can focus it in such a way as to override rational thinking and instil fear. He convincingly showed the process by which this intimidation gradually and insidiously took hold, as well as how effective the threat was to anyone who tried to sound a note of caution.
In making one of the “baddies” the victim of severe childhood abuse Martyn Waites captured, in a psychologically convincing way, the recurring cycle of abuse which so often follows such experiences. The abused child becomes the abuser, gaining the power he didn’t have as a child and using it in the only way he knows how, by inflicting pain and then gaining pleasure and a sense of control from that. I thought that this theory was demonstrated very effectively as the character’s background was gradually revealed.
The author’s decision to locate this story in Cornwall was influenced by the fact that this region voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU, despite being a major recipient of EU subsidies and support. Part of his motivation was to explore what happens when people start to recognise the full implications of how their livelihoods will be affected by the withdrawal of such support.
I thought that the characters of Tom and Lila were well-drawn and I really enjoyed their developing relationship which was based, in part, on the fact that each harboured secrets from their troubled pasts and was struggling to find a reliable haven. Lila’s childhood was characterised by abuse so she found it difficult to trust anyone and was also struggling to rid herself of the guilt she felt in her complicity in the kidnapping of the student by her boyfriend. Tom’s need to keep his background hidden meant that he couldn’t be completely open with Lila as he attempted to gain her trust but his need to make reparation for what he feels was his part in the death of another young woman makes him determined, whatever the cost to himself, to protect Lila.
I found this a highly entertaining and engaging thriller and particularly enjoyed the evocatively atmospheric descriptions of a Cornwall which was so far removed from the usual picture-postcard descriptions of a county which is one of the poorest areas in the UK. Any slight niggles I had about the plot (one being why would someone who wanted to remain anonymous choose to relocate to a small, insular village in Cornwall where, as in any established community, everyone would want to know everything about him!) didn’t take away from the fact that this story held my attention from start to finish and left me feeling delighted that there will be further stories featuring Tom Killigan!
The wide-ranging themes in the story would make this a good choice for reading groups.
My thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

This is undoubtably one of my favourite reads of 2018 so far, if not already my favourite for fiction. I read this book from cover to cover the day that it arrived. I could not put it down, gripped right from the beginning, I had to find the answers to the mysteries of St Petroc and those living there; believe me I was not disappointed. The characters were well developed, some I loved whilst others I loathed. The plot unfolded naturally and the way that all the different parts of the story pulled together kept me turning the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to friends and family, I will also be looking out for more books from the author because this was definitely worth reading. ( )