First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers.

THE DISTANT ECHO

Copyright © 2003 by Val McDermid.

Hedge photo © Walter Bibikow, Age Fotostock America Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2003052902

ISBN: 978-0-312-99483-9