The Thames is beautiful at sunset. It is less beautiful when it gives up a body.
Summer 1932. Julian Ashcombe and Clara Bennett are drawn into a glittering riverside party on Temple Island, where whispered threats and a disputed choice have already divided old friends. When a guest is found dead near the boathouse, the easy answer points towards a gambling quarrel—and to the person everyone believes was seen escaping by boat.
But a familiar coat glimpsed on the river is not the same as a familiar person. As rain, rowing schedules and polite lies muddle the morning's movements, Julian finds that the island's guests are protecting more than reputations. Clara follows a trail through servants' passages, invitations and private promises, uncovering the pressure beneath a polished summer fête.
The closer they come to the truth, the more dangerous one question becomes: who had the right to choose another person's future? Surrounded by water, the murderer has relied on appearances to carry the blame downstream.
