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People who came to say goodbye to Adam always talk about the swans.

We held the memorial service in a lovely little church within sight of the sea. It was a cold March day with fitful sunshine and a bitter wind. After the service, we gathered in groups on the gravel path that led down to the lane. Drifts of early daffodils brightened the shadowed gravestones and I remember how empty the service had seemed without a coffin or a body. The fly-past had been scheduled for half past three. Already, we could hear the Mustang coming.

The aircraft appeared a minute or so later. Harald was at the controls and I could see his face looking down at us as he dipped a wing in salute. Some of us bowed our heads. One or two of the men were weeping. For that single moment, even the wind seemed to stop.

After the Mustang had peeled off to the south, it was quieter again. Conversation seemed somehow pointless. There was nothing to say, nothing to add. We began to walk towards the gate, little black clusters of us, grim-faced, awkward, and it was then that I heard the swans.

They were on exactly the same heading as the aircraft. I saw their shadows first, dancing across the pale stones of the church, then I looked up, catching my breath at their beauty and their grace. There were nine of them in all and they disappeared towards the Undercliff and the sea in perfect V formation, untroubled, leaving us to the cold and the single tolling bell.

The memory of those swans has never left me. I can hear the beat and sweep of the wings as I write. Adam, I think, would have loved them.

Reviews

Ellie's decision to learn to fly the classic Mustang fighter in a bid to save her late husband's company is as plausible as it is ambitious. The action is as cautiously crafted as Ellie's cockpit checks, but brings surges of excitement as if you were twitching the rudder with her. A hunt for the truth was never more compelling.
David Hall, Oxford Times

A tense and well-structured thriller....a story about love and loss and the dark nooks and crannies of the soul in which even the closest of partners hide their innermost secrets. Fascinating.
Yorkshire Post.

With its rounded characters and strong plot, this is an intelligent novel by Graham Hurley who - with his ninth novel - is showing himself to be a first-class writer.
Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

His most compelling book yet.
Barry Forshaw, Crime Time.

Hurley has a canny way of tapping into the female psyche and unveiling the raw emotions involved in grief and loss. His experience as a writer shines through this novel which is not only compelling and addictive but also highlights his outstanding ability to envelop the reader.
Rachel Lamb, Southern Daily Echo.

"Unputdownable" doesn't figure in my dictionary but it accurately describes what must be another sure-fire winner.
Gerry Stribling, Wilts and Glos Standard.