Quietly, rather movingly, Strange was making his plea: ‘Christ knows why, Lewis, but Morse will always put himself out for you.’ As he put the phone down, Lewis knew that Strange had been right … in the case of the Swedish Maiden, the pair of them were in business again …

They called her the Swedish Maiden - the beautiful young tourist who disappeared on a hot summer’s day somewhere in North Oxford. Twelve months later the case remains unsolved - pending further developments.

On holiday in Lyme Regis, Chief Inspector Morse is startled to read a tantalising article in The Times about this missing woman. An article which lures him back to Wytham Woods near Oxford … and straight into the most extraordinary murder investigation of his career.