Acid Row

A Corrosive Crime

When a masked assailant hurls acid into the face of Janice Lawrence on a rain-slicked South London estate, the brutality shatters more than bone—it ruptures the fragile trust of an entire community. In the aftermath of the attack, neighbors whisper of gangland retribution, of long-buried grudges, and of a secret witness who saw too much. As whispers grow to rumors, Inspector Stephen Bramford is called in to untangle a web of fear and resentment that stretches from the council-estate high rises to the gleaming corridors of local power. Every lead seems tainted, every alibi suspect, and every sympathy cloaked in complicity.

Investigations in the Underpass

With the clock ticking and the sound of sirens echoing through deserted car parks, Bramford assembles a small team of detectives and community liaisons determined to crack the case. In the half-light of underpasses and by the glow of streetlamps, they track footprints and piece together shattered CCTV footage. But as they close in on their prime suspect—a disillusioned youth with ties to a violent local crew—they discover that a more insidious conspiracy lies at the heart of the attack. From stolen social-housing records to clandestine meetings at disused pubs, the truth reveals motives that challenge every assumption Bramford holds about justice, loyalty, and the boundaries of vengeance.

Truth Surfaces

As Janice fights for her recovery in a specialist burn unit, Bramford races to expose the mastermind who orchestrated her suffering. In a tense showdown beneath the concrete arches of the Elmbridge underpass, revelations erupt like molten steel—turning allies into adversaries and forever altering the fate of those involved. When the final piece of evidence emerges, Bramford must confront not only the face of evil, but the faces of those he once trusted most.

. Minette Walters, acclaimed author renowned for her atmospheric settings, unflinching moral vision, and masterful explorations of human frailty, delivers a gripping thriller that sears the soul long after the final page.