MEET DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES IN THIS BRILLIANT BRITISH CRIME SERIES FROM A SERVING POLICE OFFICER, PACKED FULL OF TWISTS.Barnes finally has the family he always longed for. But someone is coming for them . . .Detective Barnes crouches down by the body near the seafront. Male, mid-twenties. The face is blue-white, mouth stretched open in a silent yawn.Suddenly his eye is caught by an abrupt movement. A woman has fallen over on the pavement opposite. 'Looks like someone's feeling crook,' says Howlett, his detective constable.Then Barnes sees another person collapse nearby. A young man, fit. He hasn't tripped. His body starts to convulse on the ground.As panic spreads through the crowd, Barnes's mobile rings. It's Tamsin, his normally unflappable partner.'Barnes . . .' She sounds frantic. 'It's Maggie.'Barnes goes cold. 'What about her?"She was supposed to be at rugby practice. But she never showed up. She's . . . she's missing.'Barnes knows his stepdaughter has been taken - and he has a very bad feeling about who's responsible . . .Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Helen H. Durrant, Peter James, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk or J.M. Dalgliesh.READERS LOVE THE CHALK MAN:????? 'Wow, this book was a total rollercoaster ride from start to finish.' Linda????? 'Action-packed, gripping . . . A cracking book.' Carole G.????? 'Action-packed. It did not let up, and I loved every second of it.' Jacquelyn D.????? 'The storyline was intense and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.' Catherine B.????? 'There were many action-packed twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved it! The author is a serving police officer. I think that really made the book come to life.' M.????? 'Plenty of tension and unexpected twists. What a ride! . . . This is one of the best series in the genre.' Martha B.???? 'A propulsive plot bubbling with unexpected twists.' Ruth G.???? 'A very fast-paced, thrilling read with plenty of action that kept me hooked.' Anne M.THE DETECTIVEDI Rutherford Barnes is no longer the ambitious, idealistic young police constable he was when he joined the force. Ten years with the police has left him world-weary and a touch cynical. He's a dedicated police officer, although he's made mistakes, ruffled too many feathers during the course of his career - and is no longer on the fast track to promotion. No one has ever been brought to justice for the murder of his wife, and it remains a constant running sore.THE SETTINGSet against the picturesque landscape of the South Downs, the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne is packed with tourists during the summer - but it can seem pretty dismal during the winter months.