5 Stars from me 
Goodness me I loved this unusual thriller!
Sarah Hilary has absolutely nailed this, which given the storyline is no mean feat. DS Joseph Ashe conveys heavy sadness, and reading scenes with him I felt accompanied by a coldness and could almost hearing the dripping. Superb.
Joe is a deeply troubled young man who does all he can to appear ‘normal’ to his bosses, and in particular new boss DI Laurie Bower who seemingly has zero tolerance for pretty much everything and especially him.
But the locals know Joe, they know what happened and they know all of the rumours about him. Some believe, some don’t. Some fear him, some pity him. All have an opinion about him. And he carries this every moment of every day.
DI Laurie Bower is similarly burdened – but by her attitude. They are the classic mismatched duo with Bower coming across as unlikable as they come, she seemingly resents pretty much everyone and everything and has no intention of cutting any slack.
Hopefully the first in a new series, The Drowing Place is a refreshing read (no pun intended, ok maybe a small one) and I look to reading more about Joe Ashe in the future.
My thanks to the author, Random House UK, Vintage and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Blurb: 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…
The first in a stand-out and haunting new crime series for fans of Vera, Broadchurch and Happy Valley. Set in a town steeped in history and horror, the series follows DS Joseph Ashe, a young man haunted by the ghosts of his past and struggling with survivor’s guilt, and DI Laurie Bower, an outsider fighting to fit in.
Read and Rated 