I was sent an early copy of this book to read because the author was brought up in Suffolk and studied crime writing at the UEA. But this novel is far from rural life of East Anglia. 

It's set in Sheffield and inner city life of poverty, missing persons, gang mentality, multicultural challenges, unreported crimes and violence are all confronted as DI Diana Walker seeks to find the murderer of a headmaster. His dismembered body has been found on the derelict site of his former school.

Finding anyone willing to talk is a challenge but, while her team are prepared to attribute the murder to another instance of gang violence, Diana is determined to get to the root of the issue. There are secrets here which need to be exposed. 

Challenging racism and misogyny, and risking her own reputation, Diana perseveres to find something more ingrained, widespread and horrifying than she could have imagined.

This is a page-turner despite the gruesome murder which opens the story, and the presentation of complex and disturbing problems in society at home and abroad.

The author is a former journalist and teacher, spent time in a Mexican-American theatre group and was the press officer and biographer of Death Row Records. She lives in Yorkshire and is working on her second novel. She's one to watch.