Niall and Eden Paternoster start their Sunday the same way they always do - with a long drive, a visit to a country house and a quick stop at the local supermarket on the way home. This book follows the investigation into a missing woman, Eden Paternoster, where her husband is suspected of her murder.

Battling with a personal tragedy and a repugnant boss, Roy Grace is stretched to his absolute limits. Having really grown attached to the characters over the years, the emotional impact that Roy and Cleo face in this outing will have repercussions in future books - these sections were so difficult to get though. So after a very dissapointing last book in the series, I was giving this one a go, perhaps out of having loved the series up to then.They were on their way home from a day out visiting a stately manor when Eden, the wife, wanted to stop on the way for some kitty litter. The mystery did have me hooked and invested in trying to figure out what was going on, until a conversation about halfway through, that, to me, gave it away immediately. At times there is some repetition and on occasions it’s a bit over burdened with facts and some unnecessary detail.

He drives home hoping to find her there but all is quiet in the house, he rings family and friends but still no luck. Niall Paternoster waits in the car while his wife, Eden, nips into the local supermarket for cat litter, but she never comes back. This book presented us with a very clever and engaging mystery that shape shifted every time we looked at it.

If you are after a compelling police procedural with a likeable main character you can't go past Left You Dead.

I like the balance between Grace’s home situation and leading an inquiry as when you get this far into a series you want to know how things are progressing and his wife Cleo is a really good character who supportively keeps his feet on the ground. There’s also a tragedy in the life of one of the investigators that brings an added heartbreaking dimension. There are plenty of twists and turns which will keep you on your toes as the story moves on, and you may also find yourselves reaching for the tissues at times. The first seems more likely initially, but later as more information comes to light, it’s anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile Detective Superintendent Roy Grace visits Ford Prison and obtains some interesting information about his arch nemesis Assistant Chief Constable Cassian Pewe. One of the plot points was a major part of the story, but it was a complete side story that didn’t have any real baring on the main story at all.