The night is her enemy. The deepest parts of her soul prevent her from breathing. Beneath her closed eyelids, the world has taken on the orange hue of fire, the red of blood, the black of death. In the air flies a flock of birds, casting their shadows at her feet. Crows caw. They circle the skeletal figure on the ground. She's cold. She tries to light the lighter. She is naked. She fails. The birds fly low, almost touching her.

Inspector Kapetanou takes on the most difficult case of his career. The corpse of the man on the hill of the Old Asylum ignites a world of secrets that begins to burn in the forest surrounding the victim's farm. Death lingers in the air, living alongside the villagers. Illegal bets, assassination attempts, chemical factories, and only one choice. To win, he must take a risk. Alone.

After the award-winning bestsellers The Frogs and Blind Fish, Dimitris Simos returns for a third time to Dark Waters, with the new case of Inspector Kapetanou.