A disappearing boy, a murder and many hidden secrets

Ann Cleeves is known for her various crime series including one set in Shetland and one featuring a female detective, Vera, which have been successfully televised. I have read quite a few of her books – see reviews here, here, here and here. The Sleeping and the Dead is a stand-alone book set in Northumberland.

Peter Porteous is a detective who has been moved to a quieter job after suffering a breakdown. When a body is found in a local lake he is able to identify it as Michael Grey, a young man who went missing over ten years ago. He begins to investigate but his partner is keen to connect this death to a list of crimes by a local child sex abuser. Peter is not so sure and as he continues to uncover the secrets of the past another murder takes place.

This book is told partly from Peter’s point of view but also from that of Hannah who was the girlfriend of the missing boy and who now has a daughter of her own. She has been affected by the disappearance of Michael and, as events progress, we see how not knowing what happened to the boy and the resurfacing of past events has had and continues to have an impact on many people. There is a lot of tension as the investigation proceeds and Hannah and her daughter are often uncertain of the people around them as suspicions create mistrust.

This is an excellent crime novel, filled with secrets. The police officers are determined to get justice for Michael but others are suffering from past events or get caught up in the investigation. I liked the way that the author wound the two narratives together and the solution to the mystery ties everything up satisfactorily. I enjoyed it.