She was lying across a granite rock surrounded by sea, posed on her side as though she was simply resting. She looked beautiful. Long blonde hair flowed beneath her, and a silvery tail glinted in the pale winter sun…

When the news breaks that a mermaid has been found dead on a rock in the Island of Jersey, social media goes into a frenzy around the world.

Dr Harrison Lane, Head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime unit, is called in to investigate. What he finds makes his blood run cold. A girl has been sculpted by plastic surgery to become the image of a perfect mermaid. Harrison has dedicated his life to tracking down those who hide behind spiritualism and religion to do evil – but this case will test his skills, and his nerve, to the limit.

A cold, calculating psychopath is preying on vulnerable women dying to achieve perfection, and instinct tells Harrison that it’s only a matter of time before more mermaids are found. From the exquisite care taken over the work, it’s clear they are dealing with a skilled craftsman – but one whose twisted art is deadly and who’s holding his victims captive as he transforms them. As the clock ticks down, Harrison and his team are locked in a heart-stopping race to find a killer before more women lose their lives.

Perfect Beauties by Gwyn Bennett