In Deep Water
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In Deep Water
Happy Valley meets The Woman in Cabin 10 in this gripping, twisty thriller from debut author Elle Blair. For perfect summer reading!
The brand-new in 2026, addictive crime thriller that you wonβt be able to put down for fans of Ann Cleeves and Val McDermid
βA wonderful opening to the Rachel Harlow series' Abigail Dean
'Twisty and entertaining' Sarah Turner
'Dangerously addictive' Will Dean
'More twists and turns than a packet of fusilli' Daily Mirror
A murder at sea. One detective. No backup.DI Rachel Harlow is off duty and stuck aboard a cruise ship with her twin teenagers and uptight parents. Determined to distract herself from the complicated mess β professional and personal β sheβs left back at Northumbria Police HQ, she embarks on a flirtatious game with a stranger on boardβ¦ until she finds him dead the next day.
With no eyewitnesses and no official investigation, Rachel digs into the murder alone, going strictly against the captainβs orders. Dead end after dead end, sheβs met with lies and silence from the shipβs crew.
International waters allow people to play by different rules, but Rachel wonβt let up. Even when it leads her to a crime ring just as dangerous as the one sheβs left behind on land. But at sea, she has no team to back her up β¦
'A fast-paced, polished debut by a very talented writer.' Trevor Wood
'A cracking read β¦ Youβll dive into this book!' Ellie Marney
βOozing with northern charm and grit β¦ a real page turner.β Rebecca Philipson
'An absolutely cracking read!' Robert Rutherford
'The scope is intoxicating, the characters compulsive, the pacing and drama absolutely cracking.' Henry Sutton
Readers are ADDICTED to Elle Blair!'A superb page turner that will keep you up all night!' βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
βI raced through the book β¦ and I canβt wait to see what Blair comes up with next!β βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
'Absolutely loved [Rachel Harlow] β¦ you root for her all the way through the twists and turns!β βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
βWHERE HAS ELLE BLAIR BEEN HIDING? β¦ Had me captivated from the very first page β¦ This book will BLOW YOUR MIND!β
βI could not put it down. A brilliant unique crime mystery.β
βA standout debut that proves danger doesnβt need solid ground to find you.β
Series: DI Rachel Harlow
View allBook Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780008798901
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 July 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: HQ Digital
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 24.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 368
About the Author
Elle Blair grew up in Oxford, but has been a proud adopted Geordie for twenty years and lives with her family by the sea in Whitley Bay. She wrote her debut novel, In Deep Water, as part of the Crime Fiction MA course at the University of East Anglia, from which she graduated in 2025 with Distinction. Elle decided that writing her DI Rachel Harlow series whilst teaching English and parenting three young children was too easy so decided to add a wild French Bulldog into the mix. He is now the love/bane of her life and chews books faster than she can read them.
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