CROSS PURPOSE (CONTRABAND)

Maggie Laird's unremarkable life is turned upside down when her husband, a disgraced ex-copper, suddenly dies. Forced to take on his struggling detective agency, she enlists the help of her neighbour 'Big Wilma'. The discovery of a crudely mutilated body by a gang of kids draws Maggie and Wilma into a world of sink estates, shady childminding, dodgy dealers and drug abuse - and gives Maggie a chance to clear her husband's name. A gritty, darkly humorous tale which shows how 'women of a certain age' can beat the odds.