'An exceptional crime novel' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'Gorgeously vivid, moody and unsettling – I couldn’t put this down.' RED
'Will chill you to the bone ... fantastic' PAULA HAWKINS
'An instant crime classic' ERIN KELLY
‘Will take your breath away’ JANICE HALLETT

Every place has its ghosts. Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most.

17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since.

Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive.

Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present.

But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty…


PRAISE FOR SARAH HILARY:

‘An astonishingly gifted writer’ MARIAN KEYES

'A master of her craft... she makes the words sing' ANN CLEEVES

'Sarah Hilary writes beautifully and unflinchingly' PETER JAMES

'Hilary is my drop-everything writer; always original, always bang-on psychologically, always gripping' ALEX MARWOOD

'Sarah Hilary has always known how to chill her readers' VAL MCDERMID

"Gorgeously vivid, moody and unsettling – I couldn’t put this down." - Red

"Will chill you to the bone… Fantastic" - Paula Hawkins

"Smart, beautifully balanced, and with a plot that blasts through defences, this start to a new detective series is an absolutely cracker." - LoveReading.co.uk

"Brilliant… a terrific start to a series" - Mick Herron

"Shot through with pathos and pitch-dark humour, it's an utterly immersive mystery that teases via masterful misdirection and haunts you with the humanity of its characters. Best of all, the first in a series!" - DV Bishop

"Sarah Hilary has created something truly special and unique. A soulful, haunting mystery that brings something entirely new to the genre, all told with Hilary’s stand-out prose to deliver a stellar first entry in a new series that I immediately want to read more of. Bring on book two!" - C.M. Ewan

"Absorbing, moving, unforgettable … I’ve never read a book quite like The Drowning Place. A grieving town, a haunted detective and a crime that affects the living and the dead. A triumphant start to a new series from the brilliant Sarah Hilary" - Elly Griffiths

"A character-driven plot that will take your breath away. A first class read" - JANICE HALLETT

"Darkly atmospheric and overflowing with humanity, The Drowning Place is both breathtakingly original and an instant crime classic. A career best from the inimitable Sarah Hilary." - Erin Kelly

"The Drowning Place is a masterpiece. Simple as that. A gripping, atmospheric, chilling novel replete with Sarah Hilary’s trademark unnerving turn of phrase and layered characterisation. A thriller that lingers long after lights out" - William Hussey