The first in a darkly humorous, twist-filled classic crime series from mega bestseller Linwood Barclay.

Father of two teenagers and husband to a journalist, writer Zack Walker has trouble convincing his loved ones to obey his rules for keeping them out of harm's way. But then, Zack's levels of paranoia are off the scale - so much so, that he uproots his family and heads for the tranquillity of the suburbs.

But then Zack stumbles upon a body, and a trail of deceit and murder leads right back to his own front door. Suddenly, the 'burbs is not looking nearly so safe...

With a killer roaming around their neighbourhood and Zack's overactive imagination in overdrive, he's sure things can't get any worse. But then another local is murdered - and Zack's paranoid tendencies get him implicated in the crime. While his wife is trying to remember why she married him in the first place, and his kids are considering whether it's time to have him committed, Zack decides there's only one thing he can do. To protect his family - and avoid being busted for a crime he didn't commit - he's going to have to override his safety-first instincts, and track down the killer himself.

Fast pacing and well-drawn characters