THE title has a dual meaning in this third book of a series of detective mysteries by Cumbrian writer Anne Ginty.

The murder plot is set in the Lake District against a background of the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic and the attendant slaughter of tens of thousands of sheep and cattle.

Perfectionist Detective Inspector Danny Sadler finds himself under pressure from all sides as he struggles to find a balance between his personal life as a prospective new father and his career ambitions.

The author recreates very well the atmosphere of dread that permeated Cumbria during those dark days a decade ago.