This novel takes place in a small village outside of London.  For former Detective Inspector Gus Freeman, retirement has not looked like he thought it would.  His wife died in the first 6 months of retirement, so he has filled his time with gardening.  It’s not that gardening isn’t satisfying or time-consuming, but with no children, there isn’t a lot of social interaction.  When he is called back to work to act as a consultant for cold cases, his life finds new meaning.

The first case is over ten years old and seems to have become even colder as various detectives got frustrated with trying to find a killer.  Freeman cannot wait to catch the brutal murder of a sweet old lady.  Working with a team of young, mostly inexperienced police is just the ticket to revive the gray matter.  

This is a solid investigative read with great characters, but the two most fascinating aspects of the book are the methodology that Freeman uses to catch the killer and the makeup of the team members.  This is not your ordinary mystery.