Without Trace

DI Geraldine Steel knows people go missing all the time; often because they don't want to be found. So when her partner Ian asks her to look into the disappearance of his buddy's girlfriend, her first instinct is to reassure him there's no need for concern.

Until she's called to a suspected murder, and all her instincts tell her she's right about the identity of the victim.

The woman has earth and leaf mould and fragments of twigs in her hair, her nose, her mouth, under her nails, clinging to her clothes. It's as if she'd been completely encased in earth. Yet she was found on the pavement, at the side of a suburban road, where she wasn't in contact with any soil or mud.

Had she managed to escape a living grave?

Without a crime scene, the investigation focuses on her boyfriend. But Ian insists his friend is incapable of murder, and Steel is torn. Without evidence, she knows their case is weak. But can she let a possible killer go free?

Then another young woman is reported missing. Unless he has an accomplice, they have an innocent man in custody. And Steel is running out of time . . .

PRAISE FOR LEIGH RUSSELL'S GERALDINE STEEL SERIES:

'Unmissable' Lee Child

'Brilliant' Jeffery Deaver

• Without Trace is the 20th book in the bestselling DI Geraldine Steel series. We will be celebrating the release with an enhanced marketing and publicity campaign around publication.
• Summer 2023 will focus on a digital marketing campaign to recruit new readers ahead of the 20th book.
• This series has sold well over ONE MILLION COPIES worldwide.
• Perfect for fans of L J Ross, Cara Hunter and Angela Marsons.

"Without Trace" was written by Leigh Russell.

Leigh Russell is the author of the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series: Cut Short, Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead, Fatal Act, Killer Plan, Murder Ring, Deadly Alibi, Class Murder, Death Rope, Rogue Killer, Deathly Affair, Deadly Revenge, Evil Impulse, Deep Cover, Guilt Edged and the upcoming Fake Alibi. The series has sold over a million copies worldwide. Cut Short was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association (CWA) John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award, and Leigh has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTunes with Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People's Book Prize. Leigh is chair of the CWA's Debut Dagger Award judging panel and is a Royal Literary Fellow. Leigh studied at the University of Kent, gaining a Masters degree in English and American Literature. She is married with two daughters and a granddaughter, and lives in London.

Yes, "Without Trace" is part of the "A DI Geraldine Steel Thriller" series. It's book 20 in the series.