Edinburgh's hardest cop faces private crisis and public disaster... Skinner faces both the biggest case of his career and crippling personal crisis in Skinner's Ordeal, the thrilling fifth novel in Quintin Jardine's bestselling Edinburgh crime series. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. 'Quintin Jardine has created the toughest Scottish cop since Taggart' - Peterborough Evening Telegraph A mid-air explosion; a plane plunges to disaster from the Scottish skies, the British and American Defence Secretaries among the victims. Out of the blue, Edinburgh's Deputy Chief Constable finds himself leading the biggest investigation of his career. The means of destruction is apparent from the start, but the investigation quickly grows more puzzling - for once they have an embarrassment of suspects with motive and opportunity. Then sudden random violence wrenches Skinner himself out of the picture. While his colleagues struggle with the mass of clues, he lies on the brink of death, trapped with the horrors from his own hidden past. As Skinner's ordeal reaches its crescendo, the police pursue their suspects one by one, until at last they are brought to a dramatic, thrilling, but tragic conclusion. Read more in State Secrets - also featuring Bob Skinner. What readers are saying about Skinner's Ordeal: 'An excellent read, and one of the best thrillers in ages' 'What a book, what a story. Magnificent' 'A really gripping thriller, with many twists and turns'