'Like Rendell and James before her, like McDermid and Rankin today, Ann Cleeves is one of our secret chroniclers, charting - under cover of a series of expertly plotted and mesmerising crime novels - how we live now'
- Mick Herron
'A thoroughly engrossing thriller'
- The Mail on Sunday
'Cleeves's Northumberland novels are strong on atmosphere, combining old-fashioned detective work with a modern take on class'
- The Sunday Times
'Cleeves portrays Rosebank's kids and its staffers with compassion and respect, even as she spotlights the pitfalls of a for-profit approach to child welfare. Multiple narrators and a core cast of keenly rendered characters lend the tale dimension while furthering the series arc. Cleeves's fans will be well satisfied'
- Publisher's Weekly