Devices and Desires

Commander Adam Dalgliesh, having just published a book of poetry, seeks a quiet retreat at his late aunt's converted windmill on the remote Larksoken headland along the Norfolk coast. His respite is short-lived, however, as the tranquility is shattered by the escalating threat of a psychotic strangler preying on young women in the region. The horror arrives at his doorstep when Dalgliesh discovers the murdered body of Hilary Robarts, the acting administrative officer of a local nuclear power station, on the beach. Thrust into the heart of a tight-knit and suspicious community, Dalgliesh finds himself entangled in a web of simmering passions, long-held grudges, and dangerous secrets among the residents of the isolated headland. As he delves deeper, he uncovers the complex motivations and hidden desires that bind the suspects, making this one of the most intricate and baffling murder investigations of his distinguished career.