The Scene of the Crime

Description

The brand-new forensic thriller series from legendary crime writer Lynda La Plante.

The husband of a prominent and infamously ruthless barrister is found in horrific condition after a robbery and brutal assault. Now in a coma, a major investigation is launched using the newly formed, experimental Metropolitan Police Serious Crime Analysis Unit.

Jessica Russell is an experienced CSI with degrees in psychology and criminology with an exceptional Masters in Investigative psychology and behaviour analysis. But Jessica’s first job as team leader of MSCAN is entirely new to her: to bring together a team of three trusted officers.

The four of them have dealt with every kind of murder and major crime scene – their expertise ranges from forensic DNA to blood splatter analysis, digital forensics and beyond.

Now they must piece together the complex puzzle at the heart of this brutal crime. If it was a robbery gone horrifically wrong, what was so important to have been stolen?

Like with any new police department, there is immense pressure for instant results. One careless decision, one wrong accusation from Jessica or her team and their superiors would be all too happy to close down MSCAN for good.
Binding Type: Paperback
Author: Lynda La Plante
Published: 01/27/2026
Publisher: Zaffre
ISBN: 9781838779993
Pages: 400
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 1.60″ H x 9.10″ L x 6.00″ W

About the Author
Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She is the author of nearly forty novels, all of which have been bestsellers. She trained for the stage at RADA and worked with the National theatre and RDC before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing–and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series Widows.

Lynda’s original script for the much-acclaimed Prime Suspect won awards from BAFTA, Emmys, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Lynda is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Best Writer’s Award in 2000. In 2008, she was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to Literature, Drama and Charity.

Lynda La Plante is the first lay person to be awarded an honorary fellowship to the Forensic Science Society. In 2020 she launched the acclaimed Listening to the Dead podcast with former CSI Cass Sutherland, exploring forensic science and its impact on solving crimes.