From an Edgar award–winning crime author, a mystery featuring unorthodox detective Henri Castang as he hunts for a kidnapper in the Czech Republic. It’s every mother’s nightmare—their child abducted. But for Anita Rogier, whose son has been missing for four years, a glimmer of hope shines into her dark world when she receives a call that convinces her he is alive. But with few believing her claims, she needs a detective who is able to take the leap into the unknown. She needs Henri Castang. The former French Inspector turned European Community crime expert agrees to investigate, traveling with his wife Vera across Europe on a case that will test his detective skills. 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