When Detective Sergeant Blake Harte finds himself in hospital for a minor operation to have his appendix removed, he is restless and itching to return to work. For Blake, the thought of being stuck on Ward 7A with no work to distract him is akin to torture, and when he finds out that his duties are being overseen by his work rival, Sergeant Gardiner, the situation only seems to worsen. But then, Blake finds himself in the epicentre of the most bizarre case he has seen yet. Doctor Joe Tilsley is alone and stuck in an elevator. When the lift is finally fixed, and the doors open onto Ward 7A, Doctor Tilsley is dead, and most bafflingly of all, he appears to have been drowned. To have any hope of piecing together the delicate balance of secrets and lies that threaten to explode from within Clackton General, Blake must discover how Tilsley’s death could possibly have occurred while trapped in a hospital that seems to have a shadowy killer stalking the corridors, and they already have their next victim in sight…