Drowned Lives

Stephen Booth writes an intricate, complex, and richly detailed family drama and mystery that spans two centuries right up to the 1990s, set in Lichfield, Staffordshire. 32 year old Chris Buckley is a PR council officer, soon to be made redundant, business partner in a new internet venture with Dan Hyde, and freelance journalist. He is a socially awkward man, a loner, who shuns any emotional entanglements, who feels no particular attachment to family or the past, he is the sole remaining Buckley with the recent death of his parents, and is focused on the future. He is writing a story on the Water Recovery Group (WRG) intent on uncovering a part of the long lost Ogley and Huddersfield Canal, and the protests against a proposed road that endangers the project when he meets the elderly Samuel Longden. Longden claims to be a long estranged family friend of the Buckley family in the past.

Samuel is obsessed by and speaks of family feuds, betrayal, and murders that goes back to the 19th century, of the ruined reputation of William Buckley, the first engineer on the canal, of betrayal and of wrongs that need to be righted. He wants Chris to get involved in his project and gives him a huge bundle of his research that include family letters, and other documention. The only trouble is that Chris has little interest in it, until Samuel dies in suspicious circumstances that bring the police to his doorstep. His dire financial circumstances force him to take on the project and write a book. He finds himself letting his neighbour, the divorced Rachel to help him, help he needs as he is so poorly equipped for the task. Chris discovers he is far from the last family member as he meets Frank Chaplin, and Caroline Longden, Samuel's daughter and a whole host of characters enter his life. As he continues to cover the progress of the WRG, who have managed to snag the interest and support of MP Lindley Simpson, he finds there are forces who will do anything to prevent him digging into his family's past, with his home burgled, his life is in deadly danger and he has no idea who he can trust.

Booth's real strengths in this compulsive read is his attention to detail and his stellar creation of Chris, a man that I found hard to get a handle on and didn't like at the beginning, I wondered if he was possibly autistic. However, as the narrative progresses we learn precisely why he is not keen on family or other people, his traumatic childhood and the emotional damage it wreaked on him. We follow Chris as he stumbles through his family history, all at sea when it comes to making astute judgements of people, but slowly he begins to let people in his life, connect with his family and understand family is not always about blood. All this even has him perhaps considering that a future that he thought was impossible could be his. I found this an excellent read, but it may not be for everyone, some might find the depth of historical and other details a little too dry for their tastes and Chris's character too difficult to invest in. I loved it! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

A rather different read than his other books but a good read none the less, set with 2 mysteries one in the 1800's and the late 1980's it deals with a missing canal engineer and the present Buckley family member trying to solve 2 deaths

A rather drawn out read but worth perservering

Drowned Lives is an excellent standalone thriller from Stephen Booth.

Chris Buckley is a struggling journalist who is visited by an old man requesting his help with investigating an old family feud. When Buckley's visitor is killed in mysterious circumstances Chris feels obliged to finish off the investigation.

The book is superbly written with excellent pacing and some engaging main characters. There are a number of twists which keep you hooked until the end and make you keep turning the pages.

Stephen Booth has allowed his Cooper & Fry characters a break but you won't be disappointed by this book which is thoroughly recommended

Being a massive fan of Stephen Booth’s Ben Cooper and Diane Fry series I was very intrigued to read this stand alone book.

Chris Buckley 32 is approached by Samuel Longden who claims he is a distant relative of Chris. He has been working on a project and wants Chris to help, Chris is reluctant at first until Samuel dies in suspicious circumstances and he is offered a large sum of money to get the book published that Samuel was working on.

Chris discovers many secrets from his family who he did not really know. But there are people out there that will stop at nothing to stop to conceal these secrets.

This family drama has an interesting blend of history, including the canal restoration that gave the book a different angle. There are plenty of twists towards the later part of the book that had me hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

This stand alone novel is a well researched and thorough novel telling a tale of mystery and intrigue.
This tale tells the story of two families intricately involved over centuries.
It is so thoroughly researched and is a credit to the author for the immense amount of work that has been put in.
It does keep you reading compulsively and the plot flows at a steady pace.
There is a lot of language that is specific to canal boats and canals but I do not think this distracted from the enjoyment of the book.
This is the first novel I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing an advance reading of this book.