Jake Arnott's 'mesmerizing, brilliant' (New York Times Book Review) second novel, a literary thriller that delves into corruption on both sides of the law and at the heart of the state. During the long hot summer of 1966, a senseless murder shocks the nation and brings the World Cup euphoria to an abrupt end.Yet it marks a beginning for three men, who are inextricably linked to the crime and its consequences: an ambitious detective struggling with his conscience; a tabloid journalist with a nose for a nasty story; and a disaffected thief, haunted by his violent past.Spanning three decades of profound social change, this gripping novel explores corruption on both sides of the law and at the very heart of the state.