THERE'S A MONSTER LURKING IN THESE WOODS...'Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a criminal profile expert, is in her sixties, overweight, lonely, diabetic, full of the ailments of ageing - and delightful. It's rare that such a character enters crime fiction for the first time, and with such gripping impact' Marcel Berlins, The Times In a quiet village surrounded by the imposing Italian Alps, a series of brutal assaults take place. Police inspector Teresa Battaglia is called in when the first body is found. Soon more victims are discovered - all horrifically mutilated - and when a new-born baby is kidnapped, Teresa's investigation becomes a race against the clock. But Teresa is also fighting a battle against her own body, weighed down by age and diabetes, and her mind, once invincible and now slowly gnawing away at her memory... 'Creepy and evocative' Guardian (Books of the Month)'Impeccable crime writing' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time'Set to give tyneside's Vera a run for her money' Lancashire PostPREPARE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH TERESA BATTAGLIA, A POLICE INSPECTOR LIKE NO OTHER: 'I was rooting for Teresa Battaglia from the start' Sarah Ward, author of In Bitter Chill'I totally fell for the tough-but-vulnerable Teresa Battaglia' Roz Watkins, author of The Devil's Dice'Teresa Battaglia is one of the most interesting detectives to emerge in recent years' M. W. Craven, author of The Puppet Show 'A brilliant protagonist, an eerie setting and a community hiding dark secrets' Dead Good (Debut crime novels to watch out for in 2019)