Almost everyone will be affected by crime at some point in life, either directly as a victim or witness of a crime or indirectly through family, friends or work colleagues. Few events in a person's life are more traumatic and that's why the work of Victim Support Scotland (VSS) is so important. Since 1985 VSS has helped more than one million people around Scotland and it is recognized throughout Europe as one of the most effective and successful organizations in the field of victim support. Written from the perspective of the victim, this collection of stories by some of Scotland's leading crime writers illustrates the devastating impact of crime on the lives of ordinary people. The crimes featured range from fraud and house break-in to domestic abuse, rape and murder, and the stories focus on the victims of crime rather than the perpetrators and the investigators—a completely different take on the usual crime book. All the writers have donated their royalties to the charity, Victim Support Scotland. The Stellar line up includes: Lin Anderson, Ray Banks, Christopher Brookmyre, Karen Campbell, Gillian Galbraith, Alex Gray, Allan Guthrie, Stuart MacBride, Denise Mina and Louise Welsh, with an introduction by Ian Rankin.