The Drowning Place: The gripping and atmospheric new thriller from the bestselling author (DS Joseph Ashe Book 1)

4.5* rounded. up to five This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Hillary but hopeful it won't be the last Joseph Ashe is a Detective Sergeant in the small town of Edenscar, set in the rugged Peak District. As a child, Joe had been the sole survivor when the bus, taking him and his friends to school, plummeted into the reservoir, Joe had spent his life battling survivors guilt and trying to compensate, he was kind, considerate and good at his job but he was also a bit of a loner. When a triple murder occurred in the small town, a town where everyone knew everyone else, Joe was as gutted as the rest of them, especially as a baby was involved. D I Laurie Bower, Joe's boss, had recently joined the small Edenscar force from the much larger Salford force, she was on a six month transfer in order to help her husband and his disapproving sister, care for their father who was suffering from dementia and couldn't stand the sight of Laurie, home life was fraught and work was her escape. What Laurie didn't expect was a triple murder in the small Derbyshire backwater, a triple murder that turned out to be so much more. This story has more twists than a corkscrew, Laurie and Joe work well together but both are fighting their own demons. The suspects are many as the worms come out of the woodwork, and I have to admit that the killer took me by complete surprise. The book is well written, the main characters are complex but likeable. I am not sure if this is the start of a series, I hope that it is because I though that there were a few loose ends that needed addressing. All in all an enjoyable read. Thank you Penguin Publishing and Net Gallery for this Arc, my review is totally voluntary.