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A gripping police procedural, taking the reader on a journey into the dark heart of Hungary.

A gripping police procedural, taking the reader on a journey into the dark heart of Hungary.

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Balthazar Kovacs, a detective on Budapest´s murder squad, is on the trail of a dead man.

Minutes ago, Kovacs received an anonymous SMS showing a body and an address: 26 Republic Square - the former Communist Party headquarters and once the most feared building in the country. But now, amid the ruins of the demolished building, Kovacs finds no dead body , just six members of the Gendarmerie - an elite police force reporting directly to the prime minister - and an invitation to hand over his phone and cease his investigation.

Kovacs has taken his first step on a journey deep into Budapest´s dark heart, towards a deadly intersection of the criminal underworld, the corridors of power and the ghosts of history. A journey that will force him to choose between the law and family loyalty.

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´Adam LeBor reveals that crime fiction still has exciting new avenues to explore´ Val McDermid.

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LeBor, AdamAdam LeBor lives in Budapest and writes for The Economist , Newsweek , New York Times , The Times and other publications. He is the author of a number of nonfiction books, including the Orwell Prize shortlisted Hitler´s Secret Bankers . adamlebor.com @adamlebor facebook.com/adamleborauthor

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