After three months off, a gruesome murder throws Detective Rachel King back into the thick of it. But can she cope? The pressures of the job and of being a single mum are taking their toll.

It's a horrifying sight. The body of an elderly woman is carefully posed on the altar. There's gaffer tape over her mouth, her hands are crossed over her chest, tied together with white ribbon. A single white rose is placed between her fingers.

The victim is quickly identified as Mary Dunn, whose turn it was to arrange the church flowers. Everyone loved Mary. The motive for her murder is a mystery.

Then forensic evidence produces a shocking result: a link to the Slasher, a notorious serial killer who stalked the streets of Manchester fifteen years before. But the Slasher was murdered in prison - so how come his DNA is found on Mary's clothing?

Does Detective Rachel King have a serial killer on her patch? One who's back from the dead . . .