Synopsis
'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.
Seventeen 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 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 crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, 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
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781529961744
- Number of pages: 336
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 21 mm
- Weight: 239g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary
The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary is a police psychological crime thriller set in the Peak District, it features two police officers, Detective Sergeant J... READ MORE
Yes. Just yes.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Hilary, and Penguin Random House Vintage for sending me this ARC!
I loved this book! If I weren’t swamped, I would have r... READ MORE
Exceptional
Review of ‘The Drowning Place’ by Sarah Hilary, due to be published on 16 April 2026 by Random House UK, Vintage.
Joe Ashe, sole survivor of a bus crash... READ MORE
Adore this Crime Novel
Sarah HIlary's new crime novel - The Drowing Place is such a satisfying read. Complex characters with real emotions and back stories underpin a really int... READ MORE
It is so worth the read.
17 years ago tragedy struck to small town of Edenscar in the Peak District, a bus crash claimed the lives of all on board except Joseph Ashe.
He has strug... READ MORE
The Drowning Place
I loved this book from the opening pages, impeccable scene setting and great writing transporting me to Edenscar in the Peak District, the scene of a horri... READ MORE
So much is spot on, the plot, characters, setting, themes, twists.
4.5 stars
I initially thought this was Sarah's debut but I've now found out she's got plenty of other books for me to get my teeth into, and I will.
... READ MORE
A Refreshingly Different Read
The Drowning Place launches a new Police Procedural Series set in the Peak District centred on a small town haunted by a mass drowning tragedy of school ch... READ MORE
Dark with foreboding and rich with characters and atmosphere
As far as murder mysteries go, The Drowning Place ranks high with me. Set in the Peak District National Park, it has an ominous, dark feel about it amplifi... READ MORE
Tense and unusual crime story
Seventeen years ago a school bus veered off the road killing all those on board except Joe Ashe. His survival has made him something of a celebrity in the ... READ MORE
Great start to a series
This is a fabulous and atmospheric murder, mystery and thriller story. and the start of a new series. It is a police procedural, it one that has a twist, ... READ MORE
A good read
A very enjoyable story with an interesting background. An unusual plot with some great characters. It is spooky with ghosts and tragedy.
I thought it w... READ MORE
Superb
I have enjoyed all of Sarah Hilary’s previous novels so was looking forward to start this new series set in the High Peak. This isn’t an area I know but I’... READ MORE
So good
4+DI Laurie Bower and DS Joe Ashe #1Nine children and three adults drown in the Ladybower reservoir in Derbyshire whilst on a school bus - Paige, Zoe, Ell... READ MORE
The first in an intriguing new series
The Drowning PlaceSarah Hilary
4 stars
The first in an intriguing new series
This is the first book that I have read by this author but it will no... READ MORE
Very good first in new series police procedural with paranormal elements
The first in a new series, DS Joseph Ashe and what a great introduction. Joe Ashe is DS in the police at Edenscar in the Peak District. When he was 11 he w... READ MORE
a great new combo fighting crime
I liked this gripping storyline and the two main police characters. Set in the Peak District the first chapter is not what I expected and quite shocking bu... READ MORE
Quirky police procedural
I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky take of a police procedural. Ever since he was the sole survivor of a school outing bus crash as a child DS Joe Ashe (nick... READ MORE
Absorbing thriller, police procedural and meditation on loss all at once
Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for ARC.
DI Laurie Bower has moved to her husband's home town to help out with his family and it's fair to say s... READ MORE
Start of a new series…I hope!
I really hope this the start of a series. I want to know more about the main characters and their back stories. A sleepy backwater police station gets a ne... READ MORE
Sixth sense
Being the only survivor of a local tragedy has scarred Joseph Ashe, now he is a detective working to support a community that is wary of him. Laurie Bower... READ MORE
Very good.
This is a very good police procedural featuring DI Laurie with a well constructed plotline, although I did find it a bit confusing at times. I liked the ch... READ MORE
Interesting storyline
The promise of this novel seemed really intriguing, the prologue enticed me in.
Moving on years from the prologue, new acting DI Bowers, joins the small ... READ MORE
First of a gripping new police procedural series
Seventeen years ago the small Peak District town of Edenscar was devastated when a school bus veered off the road and plunged into water, killing everyone ... READ MORE
I was hooked
I am grateful to NetGalley for giving me this introduction to Sarah Hilary's writing. Initially drawn to the book by the brief introduction, I was hooked a... READ MORE
Dark and compelling
When he was 11, Joseph Ashe was on a school bus when it veered off the road into a reservoir. Everyone on board drowned apart from Joseph. Why did he survi... READ MORE
Good start to a series
A very good start to a series DI laurie Bower has been seconded to the Peak District to join her husband who is caring for his father. Any expectation that... READ MORE
Just didn't do it for me
The Drowning Place begins with a slow, deliberate pace that only really picks up in the second half, where the tension finally takes hold. The relationship... READ MORE
A wonderfully paced and characterised murder mystery
The fact that Detective Joseph Ashe is alive is nothing short of a miracle as he is the only survivor of a school bus crash many years earlier. He has trem... READ MORE
A good read
I didn’t know if I would enjoy the ‘ghostly’ aspect of this novel. But I did and read the book in 2 days. The story flows well with some unexpected twists ... READ MORE
Fantastic
This is a fantastic start to a new police procedural series from Sarah Hilary. Joseph Ashe was the only child survivor from a terrible school bus crash. No... READ MORE
Chilling and compelling read
I absolutely loved The Drowning Place. The sense of place is outstanding — the history and the setting are so vividly drawn that I genuinely felt as though... READ MORE
5 STARS from me!
17 years ago tragedy struck to small town of Edenscar in the Peak District, a bus crash claimed the lives of all on board except Joseph Ashe.
He has strug... READ MORE
Complex murder mystery
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 i... READ MORE
A brilliant police crime thriller
4 ⭐️
The Drowning Place is an atmospheric thriller set in the Peak District.
We follow DS Joe Ashe and DI Laurie Bower and their bid to unravel the sec... READ MORE
Another fantastic thriller by Sarah Hilary
The Drowning Place is one of the best crime novels that I've had the pleasure of reading recently. Sarah Hilary never disappoints!
I also love an unpred... READ MORE
Quirky and enjoyable
I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky take of a police procedural. Ever since he was the sole survivor of a school outing bus crash as a child DS Joe Ashe (nick... READ MORE
Unsettling blend of crime and the supernatural
This is a smartly written crime novel with a slice of the supernatural on the side. DS Joe Ashe is the sole survivor from school bus crash seventeen years ... READ MORE
The Drowning Place
This is the opener for a new series, from an author who is already on my periphery but who I haven't read extensively yet - apart from the first two Marnie... READ MORE
Exquisitely written, beautifully plotted, and emotionally compelling
To say I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book is an understatement. I have loved each of Sarah Hilary’s stand-alone psychological novels, but there’s bee... READ MORE
Enjoyable police procedural thriller!
DI Laurie Bower is new to Edenscar and is working with local detective DS Joseph Ashe who has a history of having survived an horrific bus crash at the age... READ MORE
Great read, hopefully start to a new series?
Seventeen years ago Joe Ashe was the only survivor of a bus crash on a school trip. Now a DS in the local police force he carries huge survivor guilt. ... READ MORE
A very good read.
This is a very good police procedural featuring DI Laurie with a well constructed plotline, although I did find it a bit confusing at times. I liked the ch... READ MORE
A police procedural with a ghostly dimension
Some might find the idea of this book a bit weird, but it's worth sticking with it. A city centre Detective Inspector is to a normally sleepy Peak District... READ MORE
The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary
The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary is a police psychological crime thriller set in the Peak District, it features two police officers, Detective Sergeant J... READ MORE
A brilliantly written new series
First time reading @sarah_hilary999 and I really enjoyed this book. A mystery crime police procedural with a supernatural element. I was hooked from the fi... READ MORE
A Haunting Story
A really original police investigation taking place in the Peak District, with a young local copper joining forces with a Detective Inspector newly transfe... READ MORE
Thrilling!
What a good story this is. It begins with an accident some years previously. An excellent scene setter, as everything seems to revolve around that event. I... READ MORE
Twisty, Supernatural and Dark
This was a great police procedural thriller with a smattering of the supernatural woven through it. It’s the start of a series and there were enough nugget... READ MORE
Recommended
The first book by Sarah Hilary I have read. I have spent many happy hours walking and cycling so the location is familiar. Read in a single sitting whilst ... READ MORE
..
Sarah Hilary’s The Drowning Place is the kind of crime novel that lingers long after the final page—equal parts chilling and deeply human. Set in the eerie... READ MORE
It’s a complex well written story and I liked it a lot.
This book completely surprised me. It started off quite slowly, which is not how I like my books to start but just as I was beginning to lose interest, the... READ MORE
Atmospheric police procedural.
A well crafted police procedural with more than a hint of the Paranormal. Which shouldn’t work, but does. Set in a well described and atmospheric part of t... READ MORE
Dark, Tragic and Twisty
A tragic story that began when Joe, a young schoolboy survived a bus crash that killed everyone else on the vehicle, drowning them when it plunged into the... READ MORE
What a way to start a new series
Invest yourself into this new series. Frankly the review could end there as this is a book that really draws you in and there is so much more to come. You ... READ MORE
Tense thriller featuring two very different investigators
The Drowning Place is a multilayered thriller featuring a hot-shot DI on a temporary secondment from Salford and a local DS from the village who knows much... READ MORE
Give it a go if the ghost treatment appeals.
Sarah Hilary takes an unusual premise in ‘The Drowning Place’ – that of a detective, Joe Ashe, who sees ghosts, in particular, his best friend Sammi who dr... READ MORE
Good
I really liked this book and couldn’t stop reading it. The only downside was it seemed to drag out a bit in the middle of the book. Otherwise a good read. ... READ MORE
A proper page turner!
This is a really thoughtful story about a tragedy in a small Derbyshire town. Having spent most of my school holidays in such a town and knowing the differ... READ MORE
A police procedural with guts
The two main characters are DI Laurie Bower and DS Joe Ashe. Bower is new to the area and Ashe carries guilt from being the sole survivor of a horrific ac... READ MORE
Excellent
DS Joe Ashe is a detective with a difference, everywhere he goes his best friend Sammi goes too, but Sammi and Joe were in a bus crash when they were 11, a... READ MORE
Brilliant book
A great psychological thriller. The atmosphere was chilling, I couldn’t stop reading! It was a very unique book which I find rare when it comes to crime. I... READ MORE
surpassed expectations
read many other books written by this author this one again did not disappoint. Excellently written with captivating storyline and characters which were en... READ MORE
Touch of Randal & Hopkirk
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of Sarah Hilary’s forthcoming novel. The plot immediately captured my attention with its te... READ MORE
Atmospheric thriller
A beautifully written and atmospheric novel set in the Peak District. Detective Sergeant Joseph Ashe is the sole survivor of a bus accident 17 years ago. H... READ MORE
Great premise but....
I liked the premise of this book, the characters, the writing and the evolving mystery, but I couldn't get past the ghost which I found really jarring and ... READ MORE
Excellent
The Drowning Place sees the introduction of DS Joseph Ashe and DI Laurie Bower who are thrown together in a violent murder investigation in Edenscar.
Th... READ MORE
What an absolute delight The Drowning Place was
What an absolute delight The Drowning Place was from beginning to end. I was immediately immersed in the characters and setting. This is essentially a nove... READ MORE
Loved it
When a husband and wife are killed in the small village of Enscar, it’s up to DS Ashe and DI Bower to find the clues and work out who killed them.
DS Ashe... READ MORE
Four stars!
The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary is a dark, atmospheric book set in the close knit and unsettling town of Edenscar. Seventeen years have passed since a s... READ MORE
A good psychological thriller
A handful of bad language but overall a good psychological thriller. I liked the characters. A bit sad in places but looking forward to the next one.
Great start to new detective series
This is the start of a new detective series from this author, and I’m already eager to see how these characters develop. There’s clearly a lot more to come... READ MORE
Mixed feeling
17 years ago, in the town of Edenscar in the Peak district a school bus veered off the road and the inhabitants of the school bus drowned except for one Jo... READ MORE
Not for me
I’ve read and enjoyed this author’s mystery crime procedural books so was excited to receive this new one which was the start of a series. However despite ... READ MORE