In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective series, betrayal is rife in the idyllic Yorkshire Dales as Samson O'Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, is targeted by a hitman. Can Bruncliffe save him?

Death is coming to Bruncliffe; its target is Samson O'Brien.

Oblivious to his impending date with darkness, Samson is busy juggling a series of cases at the Dales Detective Agency. Too busy, in fact, to take the entreaties of a certain Mrs Lister seriously. The concerned mother is convinced her son Stuart - the local lettings agent at Taylor's Estate Agents - has gone missing, despite evidence to the contrary.

But while Samson is otherwise engaged, Delilah knows what is coming. A hitman. Sent from London with one objective: silence the troublesome O'Brien once and for all before his corruption case can make it to court.

With Samson's life in peril, Delilah has no choice but to turn to the people of Bruncliffe for help if she is to stop the hitman from achieving his objective. Only trouble is, the townsfolk have long memories and deep grievances when it comes to Samson O'Brien. They will take some convincing before they put themselves in danger in order to save him.

In a race against time, and with the life of the man she loves in the balance, Delilah will have to call on all of her connections built up over a lifetime in Bruncliffe in order to push back the darkness that is threatening to engulf the Dales town. But even that might not prove enough.