Rose by Martin Cruz Smith

 The year is 1872. The place is Wigan, England, a coal town where rich mine owners live lavishly alongside miners no better than slaves. Into this dark, complicated world comes Jonathan Blair, who has accepted a commission to find a missing man.
When he begins his search every road leads back to one woman, a haughty, vixenish pit girl named Rose. With her fiery hair and skirts pinned up over trousers, she cares nothing for a society that calls her unnatural, scandalous, erotic.
As Rose and Blair circle one another, first warily, then with the heat of mutual desire, Blair loses his balance. And the lull induced by Rose's sensual touch leaves  him unprepared for the bizarre, soul-scorching truth. From Goodreads

I really liked this book and that it has taken me from the 10th of February to the 23rd of February to read is quite misleading. I actually finished the book in just 4 sittings but they were rather far apart but it was not because of the book.
I like his description of Wigan and the whole miners setting. The mystery was intriguing and there was a few things and explanations I had not seen coming.  I will read books written by Martin Cruz Smith again.