DC Esther Barnett, newly transferred from Norfolk to CID in St Albans, is no stranger to suspicion - but her reputation precedes her, and the team isn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat. When two murders and a suspected suicide rattle the quiet city in quick succession, the only clue is chillingly simple: each victim's final drink was poured at the Mermaid public house. Tasked with uncovering the connection, Esther turns to an unlikely ally - retired Maths lecturer and former teenage sleuth Nick Allen. Together, they must navigate buried secrets, local tensions, and a killer who may already be planning their next move.

Can Esther answer Nick crack the case before the Mermaid claims another soul?