Deep Waters

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, read it in 2 days. Wonderfully atmospheric, I felt as if I was there in London and Essex. I grew up in England so I had no problem with the English expressions such as "dolly bird" and "shandy" and the English spelling of neighbour and colour. I think that if you intend to publish this book in the U.S. you will need to include a map and dictionary. I thought the characters well well drawn and interesting.

DS Barnard's childhood friend and potential bad guy, Ray Robertson has gone missing. The brass want him found and believe old friend Barnard will have the inside track on where he is. If only it was that easy. Ray is clearly a villain of sorts who hides behind legitimate businesses of a club and gym etc. and while Barnard searches for his friend Robertson's gym manager is killed. Now the hunt is on to find the killer and Robertson or could they be one and the same?
Running alongside is Barnard's girlfriend who is a photographer and she is on a job to do a picture story on the then and now of Canvey Island before the floods and now after with the regeneration. As with any good book the paths of both will cross and the story involves both as the detective hunts for his friend and the killer. Soon others get involved as they find out they aren't the only ones possibly looking for Robertson as there could be a hidden stash of money somewhere from a robbery. Now add in the newly released villains who were sent down for the robbery and things hot up.

The book is set in the sixties and does give a small insight into the era with sex equality back then and the lack of modern items available now to the police to catch criminals, which I suppose you forget as like most people you get used to the here and now and dismiss from the mind what it was like before. It says it is set in London which isn't strictly true as it does involve parts of Essex but it no way detracts from the story. It is a well written story that moves along at a steady pace and in parts the tension builds quite well to keep you wanting to know what will happen next. The one thing I will say is the length of the book is a little short for me but aside from that it is well worth a read as you can immerse yourself in the past as you read along. I could easily see this becoming a nice easy read on the beach this summer.

This is a atmospheric and tension filled historical thriller set in London and Canvey Island. This is the first in the series that I have read and it works well as a standalone. It is set in the 1960s and is rich in historical details of the period, like the music and cultural norms. The devastating flooding of Canvey Island in 1953 and its current regeneration is why Kate O'Donnell, photojournalist, goes to gather details, do interviews and take photos. The son of a woman she met there goes missing and Kate tries to help her. The police are not impressed with Kate and tell her to not interfere with their enquiries. Needless to say Kate continues her involvement.

DS Harry Barnard discovers the murdered body of boxing trainer, Rod Miller, in the gym owned by the notorious Ray Robertson. Harry's boss and the police regard Harry with the deepest suspicion because of his history with his childhood friend, Ray. Harry has a troubled time trying to reconcile his conflicting loyalties. A historical heist has repercussions in the present, and the case of the missing child and murder in London turn out to be interconnected. Events put Kate and Harry's relationship under sever strain. A badly injured Kate finds her life in danger amidst the shifting and treacherous sands before the case is resolved.

Patricia Hall has written a fascinating tale that is full of suspense and tension. I would like to read more in this series because the historical descriptions are spot on and the characters are exceedingly well developed. Gripping read! Thanks to Severn House for an ARC via netgalley.