Four bystanders in the wrong place at the wrong time. Witnesses to the shocking shooting of a teenage boy. A moment that changes their lives forever.

Fiona, a midwife, is plagued by panic attacks and unable to work. Has she the strength to testify?

Mike, a delivery driver and family man, faces an impossible decision when his frightened wife forces him to choose - us or the court case.

Cheryl, a single-mother, doesn't want her child to grow up in the same climate of fear. Dare she speak out and risk her own life?

Zak, a homeless man, offers to talk in exchange for witness protection and the chance of a new start.

Ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. Will the witnesses stand firm or be prevented from giving evidence? How will they cope with the emotional trauma of reliving the murder under pitiless cross-examination? A compassionate, suspenseful and illuminating story exploring the real human cost of bearing witness.

Praise for Cath Staincliffe:

'Cath Staincliffe gets into the heads of ordinary people and makes them extraordinary' Ann Cleeves

'Modest, compassionate... a solid ingenious plotter with a sharp eye for domestic detail' Literary Review

'Complex and satisfying' The Sunday Times

'It's always exciting to see a writer get better and better, and Cath Staincliffe is doing just that' Val McDermid

'This powerful, often harrowing story will move you to tears' My Weekly on Fear of Falling

'Harrowing and humane. A real knockout' Ian Rankin on Fear of Falling

'An intelligent and emotionally engaging moral workout' Daily Telegraph

A senseless crime, a community in fear, would you dare stand up and be counted? Would you bear witness knowing how high the cost might be?

About the Author
Cath Staincliffe is an award winning novelist, radio playwright and creator of ITV's hit series Blue Murder. Cath's books have been shortlisted for the CWA Best First Novel award. She was joint winner of the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2012. Letters To My Daughter's Killer was selected for the Specsavers Crime Thriller Book Club on ITV3 in 2014. Cath also writes the Scott & Bailey books based on the popular ITV series. She lives with her family in Manchester.


Book Information
ISBN 9781849013444
Author Cath Staincliffe
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Constable Crime
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 240g
Dimensions(mm) 201mm * 199mm * 23mm