A Dalziel and Pascoe Novel.
Home from the Rugby Club after taking a nasty knock in a match, Connon finds his wife even more uncommunicative than usual. After passing out on his bed for five hours, he comes downstairs to discover communication has been cut off forever - by a hole in the middle of her forehead.
Down at the club, passions run high, on and off the field. This is a home game for Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel who knows all the players, male and female. But Sergeant Peter Pascoe whose loyalties lie with another code has a few ideas of his own.
This is the first appearance together on any field for Dalziel and Pascoe, and already we can feel that electricity of opposite but complementary skills which will take them into the topmost division.