HarperNorth HarperCollins The Departed No Peace for the Living, If You Cant Bury the Dead.

by Sarah Mellor

‘Ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath’

St. Joseph, patron of departing souls – pray for me.’

Liverpool, 1979: new CID recruit Leigh Borrowdale is seconded to a disturbing murder a mysterious death in a decaying building, where the remains of a young man have been found.

Tasked with looking into missing persons’ cases to track down the identity of the victim, Leigh comes into contact with the disappeared of a city living through its darkest days of the winter of discontent.

As she faces her own family demons and battles the male-dominated world at work, Leigh discovers a connection to two boys feared drowned in the Mersey and links to the murky Liverpool underworld. Through it all her only ally is her colleague, DS Des Chung, who knows what it means to be an outsider in the police force, albeit one who takes a very different approach.

Twisting, deeply atmospheric and never losing sight of the human cost at the centre of every case, THE DEPARTED marks the debut of a major new talent in crime-writing.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published March 13, 2025

About the author

Sarah Mellor is a crime author and psychological therapist based in Liverpool. She has been writing – and dreaming of being a writer - for as long as she can remember. She loves crime novels, particularly stories with lots of twists and turns, and this was her aim when starting her series of 1970s and 1980s-set books featuring Detective Leigh Borrowdale and her partner, Des Chung. Influenced by Sarah’s own experiences of growing up in the times, her first novel, The Departed, is set in the snowy landscape of the winter of 1979. Her second book in the series will be out in 2026.

Reviews

[Liz Mistry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review 22
The Departed by Sarah Mellor
When a book draws you in from page one and continues to keep you turning the pages, you know you’re onto a winner. Flawed characters, desperate stories, glimmers of hope and believable scenarios all combine to make this a fantastic read- and it’s by a debut author!
This debut novel is beautifully plotted with flashbacks to her younger experiences from the POV of new CID recruit Leigh Borrowdale having to deal with the casual sexism that was rife in the 70s police force (and which echoes so powerfully the ongoing struggle against misogyny in current policing) as well as her own personal demons a declining mother and her unusual way of dealing with personal trauma.
Ridiculed, and sidelined at every opportunity it’s not surprising that Leigh finds herself partnered with detective Des Chung, who faces casual racism from his colleagues too. Investigating links between the death of two young lads, the discovery of another young man’s body and the seedy world of Liverpool’s underbelly of gangs , Leigh refuses to back down when senior officers want to shut down her investigation.
This is a hard hitting read that shows the raw humanity of Liverpool in the 70s, the struggle to survive against the backdrop of Thatcherism and The Winter of Discontent this is a crime story that is character and plot driven. It tells hard truths, but shows the warmth and strength of two outsiders pulling together to right wrongs and bring killers to justice.
With many surprising twists, I was glued to this from beginning to end and have already added this author on my list of Must Read Authors.

[Saffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an unexpectedly good crime novel. I was drawn into The Departed from the first page and over the course of 24 hours was completely immersed in the world of DC Leigh Borrowdale. It’s set in Liverpool, in the January of 1979, a freezing winter when the gravediggers were on strike. From the beginning the author brings the city during this time alive and I really felt that I was there with the characters during that freezing winter. Leigh, a new CID recruit is partnered with DS Des Chung and their first investigation into the death of a young man soon draws them into the deaths or disappearances of other young men in the city. These cases are very close to home for Leigh whose family is still fractured and traumatised after the disappearance of her own brother. The sexism and racism within the police force and society is realistically portrayed. I was a child at this time and although I can still remember so well the sexist language and attitudes of the 70s it still had the power to shock me here.
The plot moves along at a good pace and I was shocked, surprised and satisfied with the ending. I loved the characters of Leigh and Des and really hope this becomes a series. A fantastic read that I’d highly recommend. 4.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liverpool 1979: When the remains of a young man are found, new CID recruit Leigh Borrowdale tries to track down his identity. Finding a connection to two boys presumed drowned in the River Mersey, her personal life threatens to derail the investigation when a familiar face turns up at the police station. Troubled by trauma in her own life and battling against sexism in her work place, she finds an ally in DS Des Chung – will they be able to untangle the web of crimes to bring the guilty party to justice?

I was initially drawn to this book by the setting and anybody who knows Liverpool well will thoroughly enjoy reading about very familiar locations, albeit ones that in many cases have changed over the years. Real life events such as the grave diggers and bin strikes have been woven into the story, giving it a very authentic feel.

Leigh is a great character, someone who is not your typical detective. Her background is troubled and she has chosen a career in the police much to the disdain of her mother. I really liked how she had a life outside the police force, even if it was one that made her job even more difficult for herself! The relationship between Leigh and Des is a fascinating one, attitudes of the 1970s coming to the fore with misogyny and casual racism being something the pair have to deal with on a daily basis.

The plot is well-written and easy to follow with some clever twists along the way culminating in a satisfying ending. I do hope that with the way it ended, this is the start of a series as I am desperate to read what happens next!

[CJ Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the way you write a debut!

Liverpool 1979 new CID recruit Leigh Borrowdale sees herself partnered with DS Des Chung to investigate the discovery of a body in the warehouse.

A 1970s police force sees a male dominant profession with misogynistic and prejudice racist attitudes were a divide exist with those who see themselves as inferior.

The partnering of Leigh and Des sees the underdogs brought together and what a pairing it is!

Leigh is a tenacious character with flair, resilience and determination and her complex home life adds to her character.

The way the author has developed the characters within the book and the interactions between them is superb.and the atmospheric setting gives depth and authenticity to the plot.

A well deserved five stars, looking forward to see how the author develops and hoping this becomes a series.

[Nina Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're in Liverpool in the late 1970s. It's a cold winter and Detective Leigh Borrowdale is seconded to Serious Crime to investigate the murder of a young lad. The case is close to home for her and we weave through the streets and docks of the city with her and her partner Des Chung. Both are carrying some personal baggage which is revealed throughout the book.

There's gangsters and their wives, unfortunate encounters (of different kinds), missing people, tragedy, friendship in unlikely places, depression and love.

A book that is set in my city and that mentions my favourite chocolate bar (Freddo) is a winner for me.

The main story is boxed off but there is a lead into book two which is a bit of a cliff-hanger.

[Claudia Zago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the plot of this book is made up of a cruel reality and the suffering of families with the absence of their children, I can assure you that the reading flowed in such a way that I didn't see the end coming. It is quite possible that the responsible party is the duo of protagonists who would give the plot a freshness rarely seen in current books of the genre. There is a life for them beyond the police investigation. They are human and, therefore, they love, laugh, have fun and, above all, they manage to solve murder cases. The author was very skillful in creating, not only these characters, but also the secondary ones and a very well-crafted plot. There is already an admirer here.

[Chris Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating debut from Sarah Mellor, set in and around Liverpool and with interesting characters. Although the idea of a female cop whose brother has disappeared or died has become something of a trope in crime fiction, it is handled well here. The mean streets of Merseyside make a good backdrop to the central story, the discovery of a body down by the docks. Setting the story in 1979 gives Ms Mellor the chance to deal with the racism and misogyny which were rife at the time. I look forward to more.

[Ms Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rollercoaster from start to finish - I couldn’t put this book down!! The characters and the interactions between them are so cleverly woven together, with Leigh as an exceptional leading lady. This novel has clearly been well researched and I look forward to the next in the series (this has to be a series!!!). Watch out Karin Slaughter there’s a new boss crime writer on the block!! 😉

[Melanie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newly promoted Detective Leigh Borrowdale teams up with DC Des Chung to investigate a dead body found in a warehouse on the docks.

Set in 1979 Liverpool, both Leigh and Des are on the outside of the team and have to fight against prejudices against them which serves to bring them together.

The writing of the setting made me feel like I was there and being from Liverpool I appreciated knowing the locations and the authenticity of the dialogue. Small pieces of history being weaved through the story were interesting as well and never seemed out of place.

I love the characters of Leigh and Des and the way they interact with each other and the way their relationship developed through the book. The relationship that Leigh has with her mum is also
interesting.

The plot itself of the crime Leigh and Des are investigating is well paced and I enjoyed the way it unfolded.

I am really hoping this is the beginning of a new series as I would love to see what is next for them all.

A clever crime thriller with a historical slant with well developed characters and set in the best city in the world.
Would 100% recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperNorth for the advance copy.

[Tara Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delighted this is the start of a series, great sense of atmosphere, interesting characters, well paced crime fiction.

[Bally · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. excellent plot line. excellent descriptions of liverpool. 1st class writer. looking forward to a follow up.

[Hannah Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Really well fleshed out characters and the twists and turns kept me guessing. I’m a stickler for realistic dialogue and this was spot on.

Would recommend this to anyone whether you usually read crime or not. Also left me craving tizer.

[Dawn Marsanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gritty crime set in 1970s Liverpool.
I became rather confused by the characters.

[Louise Dunwoodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I was hooked I spent far too much time reading 🤣🤣. Strong believable characters and a multitude of weaved in storylines. Looks forward to her next one. :-)

[Sarah Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great detective story set in late 70s Liverpool

[Miss · Rating 3 out of 5]

the audiobook would have been better, had the narrator used more Scouse accents and with that more variety of voices for the characters