Early Reviewers

Detective Sergeant Kate Ellis is surviving on instinct, denial, and habit.

Her relationship is failing, her judgement is under question, and life with the Soar Valley Murder Squad leaves no space for weakness. When a body is pulled from the River Soar, the case feels routine—until it isn’t.

A second murder exposes a history deliberately hidden by institutions that were supposed to protect young people and a pact of silence that has protected the wrong people for decades. Working under her former mentor, DCI Rachel Clarke, and alongside the quietly perceptive PC Paul Evans, Kate uncovers a chain of betrayal that binds the living and the dead. Guilt festers, loyalty corrodes and no one is as innocent as they claim.

As the investigation grinds to a dead end, professional boundaries blur and Kate is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about justice, complicity, and her own capacity for moral compromise. Some seek revenge. Others seek absolution. Not everyone deserves either.

When the river finally gives up its last secret, Kate must decide what justice really costs. Dark Waters is a bleak, psychologically driven crime novel about buried crimes, fractured loyalties, and the dangerous illusion that the past can ever be left behind.

A gripping story of memory, betrayal and moral reckoning, Dark Waters will stay with you long after the final page. Perfect for fans of Sarah Hilary, Eva Dolan, Denise Mina and Liz Moore.

What readers are saying about Detective Kate Ellis:

“The scenes between Kate and Alice were so beautifully written. My eyes actually leaked at the sad parts.” — Reader review of Love and Anger

“This is a rattlingly good police procedural along with a heartfelt romance and will be much enjoyed by lovers of the genre.” — Reedsy Discovery review of Love and Anger

“The protagonist Kate Ellis is a totally real and sympathetic character… The characters are brilliantly drawn so the reader really cares about them. I was moved to tears several times!” — Goodreads review of Love and Anger

“I’ve read just two other books in five years that gripped me like this. I couldn’t put it down.” — Reader review of Love and Anger

“It’s incredibly relatable in the best and worst way. Best because it makes me feel seen. Worst because it makes me feel seen nearly 30 years after it’s set.” — Reader review of Love and Anger

“She dates a man, she dates a woman — and that’s just how it is. It’s so refreshing. It’s jarring how well he’s captured the awe of women that women who love women experience.” — Reader review of Love and Anger

“…the wonderful characters Kate Ellis and Paul Evans. I really hope that we get more about those two.” — Reader review of Lectures on Death