An unidentified man is fished out of the sea with an anchor strapped to his waist. And for Detective Inspector Hal Challis, this sparks the beginning of a chilling series of shotgun killings.

As Challis investigates, a farmer on the peninsula erupts into violence and is the target of a massive manhunt. Meanwhile Challis’s own emotional life is strained, and some of his police colleagues have allowed their public and private responsibilities to blur.

And then Challis finds some aerial photographs in the possession of his friend Kitty that link her to the murders.

Kittyhawk Down is the second in the Peninsula Crimes series of novels. After it was published in German, Disher topped (in July and August 2005) the KrimiWelt-Bestenliste voted for by 17 specialty crime booksellers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, commissioned by Die Welt , Nordwest Radio and Arte, the arts TV channel.