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The Shadows and the Dust

A Dr Jack Cuthbert Mystery
Brief Description
Sins never stay buried.You may call it a sin; I say it was an act of desperation.Like all pathologists, Cuthbert finds dealing with dead children the hardest part of his job. However, when the body of a young boy is found in the grounds of a... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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When the body of a young boy is found in the grounds of a church orphanage, pathologist Dr Jack Cuthbert not only has to steel himself for the task ahead, he is also forced to revisit his own childhood grief. The boy in his shallow grave has been interred with some ritual, but just how did he die? And why was he killed?

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Sins never stay buried.

You may call it a sin; I say it was an act of desperation.

Like all pathologists, Cuthbert finds dealing with dead children the hardest part of his job. However, when the body of a young boy is found in the grounds of a church orphanage, Cuthbert not only has to steel himself for the task ahead, he is also forced to revisit his own childhood grief. The boy in his shallow grave has been interred with some ritual, but just how did he die? And why was he killed?

Working closely with his assistant and the team at Scotland Yard, Cuthbert slowly and painstakingly reveals the terrible truth.

Series: The Dr Jack Cuthbert Mysteries

View all
  • To the Shades Descend
    Giving them back their names is one thing; giving them justice is quite another. A visit to Glasgow for a job interview in 1931 unexpectedly places Cuthbert at the centre of a devastating crime. Unwittingly, he finds himself working at the intersection between rising British fascism, anti-Semitism, and the infamous Glasgow razor gangs. To solve the case, Cuthbert needs to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Moon's More Feeble Fire
    She was someone's daughter... In 1930, the killing of a Soho prostitute is hardly a priority for Scotland Yard. But when a second, similar murder comes to light, and then a third, everything changes. Cuthbert and his team find themselves in a nightmarish world of people-trafficking, prostitution, and drug use amongst the upper classes. Using all his forensic skills, Cuthbert...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Shadows and the Dust
    Sins never stay buried.You may call it a sin; I say it was an act of desperation.Like all pathologists, Cuthbert finds dealing with dead children the hardest part of his job. However, when the body of a young boy is found in the grounds of a church orphanage, Cuthbert not only has to steel himself for the task ahead, he...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Silent House of Sleep
    Winner of the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Death is a lonely business . . . No one who meets Dr Jack Cuthbert forgets him. Tall, urbane, brilliant but damaged, this Scottish pathologist who works with Scotland Yard is the best the new DCI has seen. But Cuthbert is a man who lives with secrets, and he still battles demons brought...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846977244

Publisher: Birlinn General

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 January 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Allan Gaw studied medicine at Glasgow University and trained as a pathologist. Having worked in the NHS and universities in the UK and the US, he took early retirement and now devotes his time to writing. His published non-fiction works include medical textbooks and magazine articles on topics as diverse as the thalidomide story, the medical challenges of space travel and the medico-legal consequences of the Hillsborough disaster.

Also by Allan Gaw

View all
  • To the Shades Descend
    Giving them back their names is one thing; giving them justice is quite another. A visit to Glasgow for a job interview in 1931 unexpectedly places Cuthbert at the centre of a devastating crime. Unwittingly, he finds himself working at the intersection between rising British fascism, anti-Semitism, and the infamous Glasgow razor gangs. To solve the case, Cuthbert needs to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Moon's More Feeble Fire
    She was someone's daughter... In 1930, the killing of a Soho prostitute is hardly a priority for Scotland Yard. But when a second, similar murder comes to light, and then a third, everything changes. Cuthbert and his team find themselves in a nightmarish world of people-trafficking, prostitution, and drug use amongst the upper classes. Using all his forensic skills, Cuthbert...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Silent House of Sleep
    Winner of the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Death is a lonely business . . . No one who meets Dr Jack Cuthbert forgets him. Tall, urbane, brilliant but damaged, this Scottish pathologist who works with Scotland Yard is the best the new DCI has seen. But Cuthbert is a man who lives with secrets, and he still battles demons brought...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

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