In a forgotten corner of a rainlashed park in Amsterdam, the body of a tramp is found. With scarring on his body which suggests he may be the latest victim of a serial killer terrorizing the city, the police can find no name, only the telephone number of a young Englishman.Jon Reed is summoned from London to identify the body, of the man he knew as Jake Colby. With a killer on the loose, he and the detective in charge of the case are determined to help uncover the truth of what happened to his mysterious friend, no matter where that may lead them.

Stav Sherez is the author of two previous novels. The Devil's Playground (2004), his debut, was described by James Sallis as'altogether extraordinary, it introduces a major new talent', and was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasy Dagger Award. His second novel The Black Monastery (2009) was described as'dynamite fiction' in the Independent and'spectacular' by Laura Wilson in the Guardian. You can find him on twitter @stavsherez.