‘Ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath’

St. Joseph, patron of departing souls – pray for me.’

Liverpool, 1979: new CID recruit Leigh Borrowdale is seconded to a disturbing murder inquiry: a mysterious death in a decaying building, where the remains of a young man have been found.

Tasked with looking into missing persons’ cases to track down the identity of the victim, Leigh comes into contact with the disappeared of a city living through its darkest days of the winter of discontent.

As she faces her own family demons and battles the male-dominated world at work, Leigh discovers a connection to two boys feared drowned in the Mersey and links to the murky Liverpool underworld. Through it all her only ally is her colleague, DS Des Chung, who knows what it means to be an outsider in the police force, albeit one who takes a very different approach.

Twisting, deeply atmospheric and never losing sight of the human cost at the centre of every case, THE DEPARTED marks the debut of a major new talent in crime-writing.

‘A terrific debut. The Departed is right up my street with brilliant female lead. It’s all a police procedural should be. I’ll be looking over my shoulder.’ Mari Hannah

‘When a book draws you in from page one and continues to keep you turning the pages, you know you’re onto a winner. I was glued to this from beginning to end and have already added this author on my list of Must Read Authors.’ Liz Mistry

'The cultural references are just perfect – anyone who's lived through the '70s will recognise every one of them. The plot is very cleverly constructed with plenty of satisfying twists and turns, right up to the end.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved the twists and turns of the plot which kept me totally engaged right through to the end. Well researched and brilliantly written.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Anyone who lived through the so-called Winter of Discontent will immediately recognise the Britain that Sarah Mellor depicts in this gritty, assured debut novel.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A clever crime thriller with a historical slant with well developed characters and set in the best city in the world. Would 100% recommend.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I loved it, kept me hooked from the first page.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Really well written, gripping book that fans of Ian Rankin and the Cormoran Strike books will enjoy. Clearly been well researched. Would definitely recommend!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I loved this book from the off … a gripping thriller … infused with a mordant Scouse wit, I cannot wait for the next instalment.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Being from Liverpool I appreciated knowing the locations and the authenticity of the dialogue. Small pieces of history being weaved through the story were interesting and never seemed out of place.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The plot has a freshness rarely seen in current books of the genre’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Absolutely loved this brilliantly written and compelling debut novel … with relatable characters the twists and turns keep you guessing right till the end. I would 100% recommend.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐