The discovery of three severed hands in a backpack is shocking enough but post-mortem evidence says that the hands were severed after death and the hunt is now on for a serial killer. As DI Ridpath is handed this impossible case, he is also charged with investigating the disappearance of a 16 year old girl over ten years earlier. Her mother is dying and the family want a death certificate. In the middle of this Ridpath is also grieving his wife and trying to be a lone parent to a sparky 12 year old.
I have enjoyed the Ridpath series so far and this book was no exception. The plot pulls in many social topics - Covid, self-isolation, social services and child welfare - as well as being an excellently plotted novel. It's not the most complex book in the world but for a light and enjoyable read it certainly fits the bill.