Behind Closed Doors

Ten years ago, fifteen-year-old Scarlett Rainsford vanished while on a family holiday in Greece. Was she abducted, or did she run away? Lou Smith worked the case as a police constable, and failing to find Scarlett has been one of the biggest regrets of her career. No one is more shocked than Lou to learn that Scarlett has unexpectedly been found during a Special Branch raid of a brothel in Briarstone.
Lou and her Major Crimes team are already stretched working two troubling cases: nineteen-year-old Ian Palmer was found badly beaten; soon after, bar owner Carl McVey was found half-buried in the woods, his Rolex and money gone. While Lou tries to establish the links between the two cases, DS Sam Hollands works with Special Branch to question Scarlett. What happened to her? Where has she been until now? And why is her family—with the exception of her emotionally fragile younger sister, Juliette—less than enthusiastic about her return?
When another brutal assault and homicide are linked to the McVey murder, Lou's cases collide, and the clues all point in one terrifying direction. As the pressure and the danger mount, it becomes clear that the silent, secretive Scarlett holds the key to everything.

“Harrowing…. Vivid, unsparing prose…. helps make this a haunting, highly disturbing mystery.” — Publishers Weekly
“An involving police procedural with a protagonist who agonizes about maintaining both a committed personal relationship and a demanding career.” — Booklist
“Haynes pulls no punches…. the skillful police work and superb ending make the reading truly worthwhile. Mystery readers will want more Haynes!” — Library Journal
“It’s hard to put the uniqueness of Elizabeth Haynes’ writing into words. Her stories grip you by the throat and force you to acknowledge that this is what real crime and real horror look and feel like, as well as real love, hope, fear. Suddenly, much of the other crime fiction you’ve read seems, in comparison, rather like stories made up by writers. Haynes is the most exciting thing to happen to crime fiction in a long time.” — Sophie Hannah
“Haynes is a master at building tension to unbearable heights....The only breaks you’re likely to take while reading will be to triple-check the locks on your doors and windows.” — BookPage