In Cold Blood

'Dangerously addictive' Will Dean on In Deep Water

A missing boy. A deadly secret. One detective with everything to lose.

DI Rachel Harlow should be focusing on a major Europol conference in Amsterdam. Instead, she’s trying to hold together a knife-crime investigation back home in Newcastle, keep her family afloat and outrun the fallout from a past she can’t quite bury.

Someone out there knows exactly who Rachel is. And they’re ready to use that knowledge against her. With time running out and the lines between professional and personal beginning to collapse, Rachel must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the people she loves.

But this time, the danger isn’t just on the streets.

It’s coming for her family.

Reviews

Praise for In Deep Water:

‘A wonderful opening to the Rachel Harlow series. It’s great on the morality of police procedure, but it’s even better on the inevitable desires, embarrassments and joys of being a human.’ Abigail Dean

‘Original and dangerously additive (with relatable characters). An exciting new voice in crime fiction.’ Will Dean

‘In Deep Water is a fast-paced, polished debut by a very talented writer which will definitely make a splash!’ Trevor Wood

'Twisty and entertaining!' Sarah Turner

'A cracking read – DI Rachel Harlow has a forthright swagger, and there’s plenty of tension to keep the blood pumping in this confident debut. You’ll dive into this book!' Ellie Marney

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.