Books Read: Erin Kelly - Broadchurch

It's a hot July morning in the Dorset town of Broadchurch when Beth Latimer realises that her eleven-year-old son, Danny, is missing. As Beth searches desperately for her boy, her best friend, local police officer DS Ellie Miller, arrives at work to find that the promotion she was promised has been given to disreputable Scottish outsider DI Alec Hardy.

When Danny's body is found on the beach Ellie must put her feelings aside as she works with DI Hardy to solve the mystery of Danny's death. As the case becomes a murder investigation the news hits the national press, jolting sleepy Broadchurch into the national spotlight.

As the town's secrets begin to unravel, members of this tight-knit community begin to consider those in their midst. Right now it's impossible to know who to trust...

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I, like many others, was glued to the drama series Broadchurch on TV last year so was very intrigued when I then heard that bestselling author Erin Kelly had been signed to write this novel based on the series written by Chris Chibnall.  I'd previously read books, including Erin Kelly's own book The Poison Tree, that had been optioned for TV series after publication but this is a first for me reading a book that had been written after a show has aired.

Having watched the series I already knew the background, the major characters and most importantly who the killer was, so I did wonder what I would get out of the book that was new.  But I needn't have worried as Erin Kelly has done a brilliant job of taking readers into the midst of this sleepy Dorset town and showing readers how everyone is reacting to the devastating news that a young boy, one of their own, has been murdered.

You get a real sense of the emotions that everyone is feeling; the pain of Danny's family, the frustrations of the detectives involved in trying to catch the killer, and the suspicions that start to arise amongst the residents that maybe someone they know, maybe even a family member or close friend, committed this terrible crime.

I'd highly recommend this novel to all, whether you've already watched the series or not, as it's a fantastic addition to what was one of the best drama series I watched last year.

I'd like to thank Kirsteen at Sphere for sending me a copy of Broadchurch to review.