Unorthodox French detective Henri Castang investigates a kidnapping in this police procedural from an Edgar award–winning British crime novelist. When the daughter of a prominent official goes missing, Inspector Henri Castang is certain the abduction is an act of revenge against the child's mother. Not only is Collette Delavigne one of France's youngest judges, but as a magistrate of crimes involving children, Delavigne has certainly aroused a few enemies. But how to find the perpetrator in a sea of cases that could easily have inspired a vengeful kidnapping? All Castang knows for sure is that he needs to act fast, in case the kidnapper has murder on his mind . . . Praise for Nicolas Freeling: "In depth of characterization, command of language and breadth of thought, Mr. Freeling has few peers when it comes to the international policier." — The New York Times "Nicolas Freeling . . . liberated the detective story from page-turning puzzler into a critique of society and an investigation of character." — The Daily Telegraph "Freeling rewards with his oblique, subtly comic style." — Publishers Weekly "Freeling writes like no one. . . . He is one of the most literate and idiosyncratic of crime writers." — Los Angeles Times