Shallow Ground by Andy Maslen

 

Author: Andy Maslen

Title: Shallow Ground

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Published: 2020

Pages: 368

Genre: Crime / Thriller 

     Barely a month since his promotion to Inspector, DI Ford is called in to investigate the murder of a young nurse and her son in a small flat in Salisbury. There are few clues and no apparent motive, but Ford can sense that there’s a serial killer at work. After all, he knows from brutal personal experience how killers cover their tracks… It’s been six years since Ford lost his wife in a climbing accident—an accident he caused. He is desperate to keep the truth hidden, especially from his son, Sam. But Ford’s new partner, Dr. Hannah Fellowes, is a crime scene investigator with a ruthlessly analytical mind, and as they work together to track down the killer, his crippling guilt is compounded by fear of exposure.

     Andy Maslen was not a name that was familiar to me until someone suggested to me that I pick up a copy of Shallow Ground. In part, I think this is down to me not reading all that many British crime writers. Let's be honest more often than not it is still American authors that still dominate our book store shelves. I need to do better with this especially when the author lives in my home county. This is also the other reason why I wanted to read this book. When it set twenty minutes up the road from my home how could I turn down delving into these pages? Who doesn't after all want to see where they live reflected in what they read sometimes. 

     DI Ford is one of those sted fast coppers we all love to read about. You could see him as one of those loyal guard dogs that will sink his teeth in and never let go till those responsible are brought to justice no matter the professional cost. As you would imagine he's the kinda guy that been in the job so long that it takes a great deal to shock him. With that said he is still a man who is slightly broken. A past that he can't let go of. The difference here is that the author is far more upfront about the ghosts that haunt him. At no point are we left trying to piece together a fragmented past or waiting for more installments to find out. We are shown his wounds so as to better understand not only him but also his personal life. 

  

     So who may you ask is the character who is going to lead us into the Sailsbury that DI ford inhabits. She comes in the form of Dr. Hannah Fellows, new to the squad and freshly back from America. The outsider who wants to understand and I feel is probably one of the smartest people in any room she happens to find herself in. And whilst it can make her more than a little alienated from her colleges. There is never a malicious intent behind her there are just some social norms that escape her. To a great extent, they are the yin and yang to each other. Whilst both massively competent in their respective fields it takes both the minds and intuition to solves this complex case. For me, it was great to see them build up this harmony with each other over the course of the book.

     This is definitely one of those crime stories that will lead you on a merry dance. I seem to have spent a great deal of time bouncing from one suspect to the next. Each time think I had it so right only for the ground to shift under my feet. It is one of those books that bring a sheer sense of joy to read as you spend your time trying to beat the author to that brilliant ending.  Let's be honest we all secretly want to outsmart them and come up with the answer first. But to his credit, it was something I never quite managed to do. The story is complex without feeling like it had become a mess. Each lead and twist in the plot always felt like the right and next logical step to take. I think it's that mark of a good author when this is the case and you are not left feeling confused and whiplashed at the next turn of the story. 

     This is definitely one of the dark ones as we follow our intrepid heroes in their fight to find justice for a murdered nurse and her son. The motives and mayhem that follow all seem very close to possibility with just enough theatrics to elevate it to one of those great Sunday night crime shows.  Here we get to experience some wonderful charters that you will just love to hate. They add to that element of both skin crawl and frustrating arrogance that I think as readers we thrive on. Whilst we have hopes for the best elements in our coppers when it comes to everyone else it's all fair game. After all, no one wants to read about boring people. It is also worth noting the author has also given us victims that we can really care about. You genuinely feel sorry for what has befallen them and that in my opinion is a great building block in any crime thriller.  

     As for the location it was great to read about places I have been to countless times. I can see the streets and shops in my head and having spent a great deal of time at Sailsbury hospital over the years for one thing or another I can see it all so clearly in my head. with that said it felt to me that it would also be no bother if they were completely foreign to you. At no point were they heavily relied upon in order to understand the story. And to be honest, if it were to be that much of an irritation to you as a reader, Sailsbury is famous enough that a quick google search will let you see what it's really like. Both within the city and the beautiful countryside that surrounds it. It is a place I enjoy visiting and for that alone it's nice to see it represented in crime fiction.

     To me, this was a great book to grab for any lover of crime fiction. There are all the elements you would hope for and that we have all come to love in British crime fiction. I raced through it constantly trying to piece together this amazing puzzle Maslen has set out for us. With this one book, he has shown me that he is an author that I will happily go back to now I have discovered him.