Death of an Ordinary Guy

The spectators, huddled against the November chill for the annual Guy Fawkes celebration in Upper Kingsleigh, were ready for the customary bonfire and revelry. Instead, one stunned official made a horrible discovery: the straw-filled effigy of Mr. Hawkes was flesh and blood -- or had been until somebody murdered the unlucky American tourist and left him to burn.

Detective Brenna Taylor, Derbyshire CID, is assigned to the case by the brilliantly intimidating Detective-Chief Inspector Geoffrey Graham, and soon makes the connection between the victim and one of the local lords of the manor. Yet it remains unclear if his death was one of mistaken identity...or calculated intent. The stakes are money, lies and family secrets, and when a second victim is found lying dead in the evening frost, it's apparent the two victims have strange similarities, as well as the same calculating -- and intractable -- killer.