The Drowning Ground

James Marrison's chilling debut will plunge readers into the secrets, fears and lies of a small community. Perfect for fans of hit TV series Broadchurch and The Missing. 
 
 'DARK, GRIPPING AND UNEXPECTED' LINWOOD BARCLAY 
 
 A man is found dead with a pitchfork through his neck. 
 
When DCI Guillermo Downes is called to the scene he realises he knows the victim. 
 
Because a decade earlier, Downes made a promise to the families of two missing girls that he would find their daughters, and this man had been a suspect in their disappearance. 
 
And as the ripples from his death spread through the local community, there is fresh hope that the detective might finally make good on his promise. 
 
 But it soon becomes clear that there's a darkness at the heart of the investigation more dreadful than either could ever have imagined . . . 
 
 Praise for The Drowning Ground: 
 
 'An Argentinian DCI in the heart of middle England brings a thoughtful outsider's viewpoint to a murder that has troubling links to unsolved crimes from the past. Guillermo Downes's intelligent, intuitive police work keeps the pages turning' Sunday Times 
 
 'An intriguing debut ... the plot [has] a strength and texture that help set it apart . . . Taut and told with panache, it ushers in a suitably spiky police hero' Daily Mail 
 
 'Marrison's tense début expertly evokes a sense of place . . . the highly unusual denouement will catch readers by surprise' Publishers Weekly 
 
'A gripping thriller . . . a readable, complex tale, astutely paced . . . If the mark of a good whodunnit is that you can't actually guess whodunnit, then The Drowning Ground does its job well. Despite following the plot closely, I was still taken aback' The Herald 
 
'Move over Morse' Oxford Times

An Argentinian DCI in the heart of middle England brings a thoughtful outsider's viewpoint to a murder that has troubling links to unsolved crimes from the past. Guillermo Downes's intelligent, intuitive policework keeps the pages turning

An intriguing debut . . . the plot [has] a strength and texture that help set it apart . . . Taut and told with panache, it ushers in a suitably spiky police hero

Marrison's tense debut expertly evokes a sense of place . . . the highly unusual denouement will catch most readers by surprise

A gripping thriller . . . a readable, complex tale, astutely paced . . . If the mark of a good whodunnit is that you can't actually guess whodunnit, then The Drowning Ground does its job well. Despite following the plot closely, I was still taken aback by the denouement

With an intricate plot with numerous twists and an intriguing cop with a complex history, Marrison rivets the reader straight through to the novel's chilling conclusion. An author to watch, he scores high with this impressive debut

An assured début which promises much for the future

So many characters with so many secrets and deviant behaviours make this début mystery by James Marrison a real winner. The author's complex plotting, haunted characters, and gorgeous descriptions of winter are an absolute joy to read even as the action takes one suspenseful turn, then another and then another to an unexpected denouement. When it seems as though all the clues have been resolved, Marrison saves one last shocking revelation for the final chapter.. . . Expertly setting us up for the next chapter in the series ( I can't wait!), Marrison writes lovingly of his new hero, Guillermo Downes, a detective plagued by demons both internal and external yet determined to expose murder most foul whenever and wherever he can

A masterful novel . . . The protagonists are wonderfully portrayed. Downes is a bit of a mystery, a man born in Buenos Aires of a Argentinian mother and an English father. What led him to leave his homeland and make a life for himself in this small English town? Perhaps the answer will be revealed in the next novel in the series, something I'm eagerly anticipating

James Marrison is a journalist whose writing has appeared in a number of national newspapers. James Marrison now lives in Buenos Aires, which provides the inspiration for his lead character, Argentinian-born detective Guillermo Downes. The Sleepless Ones is James's second novel, following on from his début novel The Drowning Ground.

A man is found dead near his home, a pitchfork through his neck. When DCI Guillermo Downes is called to the scene he realizes he knows the victim. 
 
A decade earlier, Downes promised the families of two missing girls that he would find their daughters. Although cleared of any involvement, the dead man had been a suspect. As the ripples from his death spread through the local community, Downes hopes he might make good on his promise. 
 
But as Downes pursues the case he soon finds a darkness at the heart of this investigation more dreadful than he had ever imagined.

James Marrison

An Argentinian DCI in the heart of middle England brings a thoughtful outsider's viewpoint to a murder that has troubling links to unsolved crimes from the past. Guillermo Downes'sintelligent, intuitive policework keeps the pages turning

Marrison's tense debut expertly evokes a sense of place . . . the highly unusual denouement will catch most readers by surprise

A gripping thriller . . . a readable, complex tale, astutely paced . . . If the mark of a good whodunnit is that you can't actually guess whodunnit, then The Drowning Ground does its job well. Despite following the plot closely, I was still taken aback by the denouement

An assured début which promises much for the future

A masterful novel . . . The protagonists are wonderfully portrayed. Downes is a bit of a mystery, a man born in Buenos Aires of a Argentinian mother and an English father. What led him to leave his homeland and make a life for himself in this small English town? Perhaps the answer will be revealed in the next novel in the series, something I'm eagerly anticipating

A car abandoned by a ramshackle Cotswold farm draws the attention of local police officers. When DCI Guillermo Downes arrives at the farmhouse he finds a sickening scene of devastation and destruction. 
 
 Now Downes has a murder investigation to run. But what were the ransackers looking for? Why didn't they take anything? And could there have been a witness who made a lucky escape? 
 
At first Downes struggles to find answers. But as he and Graves follow the threads of this case past crimes come to light. The criminals Downes is chasing have been used to getting away with it. But when a local boy goes missing it might be the key to breaking this case once and for all.

James Marrison

Praise for The Sleepless Ones

DARK, GRIPPING AND UNEXPECTED

An Argentinian DCI in the heart of middle England brings a thoughtful outsider's viewpoint to a murder that has troubling links to unsolved crimes from the past. Guillermo Downes'sintelligent, intuitiv ...

An intriguing debut . . . the plot [has] a strength and texture that help set it apart . . . Taut and told with panache, it ushers in a suitably spiky police hero

DARK, GRIPPING AND UNEXPECTED

An Argentinian DCI in the heart of middle England brings a thoughtful outsider's viewpoint to a murder that has troubling links to unsolved crimes from the past. Guillermo Downes'sintelligent, intuitiv ...

An intriguing debut . . . the plot [has] a strength and texture that help set it apart . . . Taut and told with panache, it ushers in a suitably spiky police hero

DARK, GRIPPING AND UNEXPECTED

An Argentinian DCI in the heart of middle England brings a thoughtful outsider's viewpoint to a murder that has troubling links to unsolved crimes from the past. Guillermo Downes'sintelligent, intuitiv ...

An intriguing debut . . . the plot [has] a strength and texture that help set it apart . . . Taut and told with panache, it ushers in a suitably spiky police hero

Books by James Marrison

Series by James Marrison

Guillermo Downes Thriller

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