A gripping, propulsive and atmospheric crime thriller perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Peter James and Elly Griffiths. Your new Norfolk crime obsession starts here...
Nobody ever knew what happened to the Brindleys. One summer they were there - flashy, loud and beautiful - and then they were gone. A mother, father and two children, vanished into the East Anglian night.
Some said the family never made it home from the party; their speeding car thrown off the tracks and the four of them silently buried in the marshes. Others said they had simply moved on. For thirty years, the case remained as cold as the freezing waterways of the Norfolk broads.
Until Cam Killick found the car.
An ex-marine and ex-SBS officer, Cam Killick's PTSD has made the return to civilian life a living nightmare. The only place he can find peace is underwater, where the world is muffled to white noise. As a cold case diver it is his job to scour the waterways of the country for the lost, the submerged, the drowned, laying their stories to rest alongside them.
Except when Cam throws open the doors to the Brindley car, all four bodies are missing. And Cam will soon learn that some secrets, once submerged, are better off staying that way.
I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Troubled Deep by Rob Parker. Many thanks to Raven Books and Love Books Tours for inviting me and for my digital copy of the novel.
I've heard so many great things about Rob Parker's The Troubled Deep and having enjoyed a number of his previous books, I had a feeling I was in for a treat. I wasn't wrong and I raced through this dark, atmospheric thriller as it exceeded my high expectations. This introduction to a new series is a seriously addictive read!
The book opens with a brief but heartrending scene set in 1987 told from the perspective of a young girl before switching to the present day as Cam abruptly wakes up in the middle of the night, then begins what is clearly the regular routine he needs to keep himself functioning. As a former SBS officer, he is tortured by his crippling PTSD but medication and his highly unusual sleeping place helps to calm him It's when he awakens again at daybreak that readers learns more about what really gives him the peace of mind he so desperately needs; Cam is a diver and as he makes his methodical preparations before embarking on an underwater exploration of Hinckley Broad, Rob Parker's impressive research becomes evident. The level of detail here brings such depth to proceedings. Cam has been obsessively searching for a car which has been missing for decades, along with its occupants – Freddie and Maud Brindley and their two young children – but his excitement at finally locating the Jaguar soon gives way to trepidation as he tentatively expects to find the Brindley family in their watery graves. However, when he realises their bodies are nowhere to be seen, this poignant mystery takes a much darker turn.
He contacts DS Claire Rogers who is grudgingly impressed that Cam's dogged endeavours have finally paid off, while the introduction of a local man, Johnjo Tabernacle presents more questions to the confused scene. This is very much a Cam Killick book but both Rogers and Johnjo have important roles to play and as always, Rob Parker's characterisation is exemplary. Cam quickly finds himself in mortal danger as it transpires there are people who wanted the car – and the real story of what really happened to the Brindleys – to remain forgotten. It's not just this external peril which puts pressure on him, however, and his PTSD is an almost constant torment. Although Cam knows how to manage his condition, his reactions are blunted and with violent enemies on his tail, he has to decide how best to protect himself. Rob Parker's informed, empathetic portrayal of Cam's suffering is excellent throughout, with his description of a panic attack being particularly excellent.
In spite of all he endures, Cam is troubled by the unknown plight of the missing children, Tommy and Hannah and is driven to discover what happened to them, particularly as the police are not interested in pursuing the case. Although the nerve-racking sense of tension barely lets up, as Cam begins to open himself up to friendship and even the possibility of romance, which adds a moving layer to this compulsive read. Rogers also has her own soul-searching to do and the chapters which follow her involve her being forced to make some difficult decisions which she knows could change everything. Meanwhile, the chapters set in 1987 and written from Hannah's perspective describe the events leading up to that fateful night. Her heartbreaking portrait of a family in trouble is chilling and reveals they had dark secrets, although the terrible truth isn't fully disclosed until much later in the story.
Cam pays a visit to their old home in a nailbitingly suspenseful scene and the revelations here lead to further altercations with antagonists who are by turns, ruthlessly ambitious and well-connected, mercilessly brutal, and almost slavishly loyal. With more twists and turns than a Great Yarmouth rollercoaster, the stage is set for a dramatically climactic showdown. Rob Parker's superbly immersive sense of place pays dividends throughout; despite the horrors depicted here, this is still a love letter to Norfolk's ancient beauty as well as its more modern attractions.
Perfectly paced and utterly compelling from start to finish, The Troubled Deep is an outstanding thriller – I can't wait for more! Very highly recommended.
The Troubled Deep is published by Bloomsbury Raven, it can be purchased directly from their website. It is also available from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Kobo, Amazon or your favourite independent bookshop.
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If you'd like to hear more about The Troubled Deep, Rob will be appearing at Bloody Scotland this year. You can book your tickets at BloodyScotland.com
The Sins of the Past panel with Rob Parker and Pat Black will take place on Saturday 13th September – 5.30-6.30PM at the Trinity Church. Tickets are priced at £8-£9.
'Even the coldest case must thaw out eventually, particularly when twisted crime writers get involved… A family is missing without a trace, and secrets emerge from the past in Rob Parker’s thought-provoking thriller The Troubled Deep, the first in his new Cam Killick series. A young woman’s body found in the Clyde carries the hallmarks of a forgotten 30-year-old case in Pat Black’s entertaining debut, To Pay The Ferryman.'
About the Author
Rob writes full time, as well as organising and attending various author events across the UK. Passionate about inspiring a love of the written word in young people, he spends a lot of time in schools across the North West, encouraging literacy, storytelling and creative-writing. He is also a co-host of the For Your Reconsideration film podcast, and a regular voice on both the Blood Brothers crime book podcast and the Really, 007! podcast.
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