Deadly Virtues: A Mystery (Gabriel Ash & Hazel Best)

First in a British police procedural series. The town of Norbold, England maintains a reputation for low crime thanks to Chief Superintendent John Fountain's zero-tolerance policy. Hazel Best, a new police recruit, is committed to upholding this record. However, appearances can be deceiving. Jerome Cardy believes he will be killed and made to look like an accident. Unable to prevent it, he attempts to communicate a warning to Ash, a withdrawn man with a concussion held in an adjacent cell with his dog. When Jerome is found beaten to death by a fellow inmate, Ash becomes convinced that Jerome's final words—about a dog named Othello—contain a hidden message. Determined to uncover the truth, Ash pursues the matter despite no one believing his account of that night. Hazel Best must now decide whether seeking the truth is worth risking her career. The investigation centers on Ash, a recovering trauma victim trying to decode Jerome's cryptic message, and Hazel's pursuit of straightforward detective work.