One Good Reason

by Emma Salisbury

A double murder. A divided city. A detective who won’t walk away. The author of One Bad Turn delivers this pulse-pounding crime thriller.

When teenagers Jamal Deng and Aisha Saforo are shot dead on the edge of a notorious estate, DS Chris Ashcroft knows why he’s been assigned the case—and he doesn’t like it one bit. Refusing to write the murders off as gang violence, Ashcroft insists on digging deeper—something doesn’t add up.

Jamal and Aisha came from different worlds. They had no reason to be together . . .

As tensions in the city explode, Ashcroft is pulled into a deadly game that threatens the safety of those closest to him. And when a break finally comes in the form of dashcam footage, it leads him straight to the shocking truth . . .

This is a gritty, gripping crime thriller where justice is never black and white.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2025

About the author

Published by Bloodhound Books I write gangland fiction under the pen name Maya Ross. Book 1 of the Anderson Family Trilogy, Blood Feud, is out now.

Small Acts of Mercy is my debut women's psychological fiction novel set in a women's prison.

I worked for a housing association supporting socially excluded men and ex-offenders, which provided me with a lot of inspiration. Fans of BBC series Happy Valley should try both my Coupland and Ashcroft detective series for their unflinching realism and pace.

ONE GOOD REASON, the first in my DS Ashcroft series, published by Bloodhound Books is out now!

Born and brought up in Manchester, I moved to Scotland 25 years ago. My inspiration initially came from working for a housing association supporting ex offenders into work.

Most evenings I can be found walking the family dogs on the beach near our home in East Lothian, Scotland. You can find out more on my website www.emmasalisbury.com and I can be found on Linktr.ee/Emma Salisbury

Reviews

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

How have I not read Salisbury before? My poor TBR list has just increased!

Outstanding writing and delivery. Now to read all her books I’ve missed before now!

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Good Reason is a crime thriller that I just had to keep reading. This was my first book by this . Wow, I loved it. The first in a new series that I can guarantee I will follow all the way.
DS Chris Ashcroft is transferred to handle the investigation into the deaths of two teens who were shot. On the edge of Moss Side, this is already written off as gang violence as always. Chris has a gut feeling and follows it. As secrets are exposed and the city around him explodes with the tensions, he finds himself deeper than he anticipated. Can he crack the case?
I live not far from the city the author writes about, and she got it perfect. I know how easy it would be to write deaths off to gang violence and understood Chris's gut feelings, too.
I was really surprised just how easy this was to get invested in and how well the story flowed. Fabulous start to a new series with a great main character.

[Alison Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Emma Salisbury book but will not be my last!
A gritty story about gangs, secrets and how the past catches up with you.
Ashcroft is seconded to another team following a double murder, but while investigating, finds himself unable to forget the brutal killing of a young boy.
Gripping from the start, I highly recommend for those who enjoy police procedurals.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime and Thrillers are one of my most read genre, and therefore need to be really good to get a higher rating from me and this was. This Book whilst being a great police procedural read is more than that. The main character DS Chris Ashcroft is drafted from another area following the double murder of two teenagers from different backgrounds, in the middle of estates that are run by local gangs. It examines the pressure that comes from dealing with dysfunction families, multicultural backgrounds and the pressure for police to deliver against the backdrop of rival gangs.

It delivered a fast paced, gripping story with a twist at the end that I did not see coming. This was my first time reading from this author and it won’t be my last.
I received an E ARC of this book but I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. It's the first I have read by this author. It definitely won't be the last. Chris Ashcroft is sent to a new station temporarily ostensibly to be the poster boy for the station when dealing with local communities impacted by the killing of a young couple. This has a lot of gang storylines throughout which I usually am not a fan of,but the book has so much more going on that it made no difference to me. I was completely hooked all the way through.

The main characters of Chris and team are great and I loved the dynamic between them all. There was so much going on yet it never got confusing. There are several twists that I never saw coming which made me go wow as I read them. It's not all procedural either. The personal side with Chris and his sister and nephew was nice to see. I hope there's more to come with Chris Ashcroft as the central character.

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice trainers...A brilliantly tense, compelling read.
This is my first time reading an Emma Salisbury book but it's certainly not my last!
DS Ashcroft feels like he's been sent as a poster boy to assist in the investigation of a double murder within an area monopolised by gangs. His new colleagues soon find out that's not how he works.
This story races along relentlessly, having you turning the pages as fast as you can.
The multi-layered plot keeps this so interesting I'd have read it in one sitting. Brilliant story, superb characters and a narrative that makes you think as you read.
The ending made me gasp out loud and everything is tied up as neatly as a box of new designer trainers.
A thoroughly deserved 5 ⭐ from me.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC.

[Nicola Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this very interesting with the idea that DS Chris Ashcroft is brought in to Moss Side as a box ticking exercise to placate parents in what had been written off as gang violence. When 2 black teenagers are shot, it is assumed to be a gangland killing, but it turns out to be so much more than that. I found the character of DS Chris Ashcroft fascinating in his approach, but maybe just a little too good to be true. I haven't read any Emma Salisbury books before this one so had no idea he was an ongoing character until the end of the book. I will be reading her other books in future and look forward to seeing if he makes the move and how it goes. I hope he doesn't just become pigeon holed as someone who investigates racial crimes as he has so much to offer.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Emma Salisbury but definitely not my last. This book is a study of society and how it gets influenced by the different powers that rule said society, in this case gangs that compete for territory on places that not even the police dares to enter.
But also shows the way that immigrants are treated and viewed because of the fact of their condition, in a broken society where no one is safe.
It has a lot of twists and turns and the most important is the one almost at the end of the book, I don't want to give out any information that can spoil the enjoyment of the readers.
I truly enjoyed reading this book.

[Emma Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story based on societal issues; social class, drugs, gangs. With a couple of murders thrown in for good measure. A good story, however found the length of the chapters meant I wasn’t able to keep picking it up at leisure, I needed to read when I had a good amount of time available; my personal preference is short snappy chapters where I can spend as little as 5-10 minutes reading if that’s the only time I have. The story flowed nicely, and there were a few twists in the tale. I liked that the chapters had comments from the text as titles. Overall a 4 star read.

[Rock Chick Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly will not be the last. I rarely give 5*, however, this book deserves them.....

I am not usually a fan of books where gangs are involved, but this book really drew me into the story, fast paced & Action Packed. If you like a good Police Procedural Novel then this is a must read.

I received a free ARC & I am leaving my Review Voluntarily.

[Rhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

When DS Chris Ashworth is transferred to assist an investigation into the murder of two teenagers he knows that is the optics that matter. However he is determined to take nothing at face value & investigate properly.
This book has many strands - life in an inner city estate, the pressures on police to deliver results among them - and knits them into a single gripping thread.
This is the first time I have read one of Emma Salisbury's novels but it won't be the last.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a gritty, dark thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page. I couldn't put it down, as I just had to know how things would turn out. The writing is brilliant - just when you think you have all the puzzle pieces figured out, you're hit with another bombshell twist and things are turned on their head again.
I absolutely loved this book and will definitely search out more of this authors' books!

[Alison Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the plot was well executed, weaving the stories together. Believable rather than extreme. The characters were strong although described briefly so imagination needed to make them come alive. The only thing I wasn’t so keen on was the length of the chapters as I prefer shorter chapters so I can dip in and out of the book more easily. Would recommend.

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow a great police procedural book with great characters and story line. I didn’t expect the ending with plenty of twist and turns, some of them I didn’t see coming. This is my first book by this author and it won’t be the last. Would recommend this book and author.

[Barondestructo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid UK inner-city mystery. 3.5

[WR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t get into the story, even though I persisted till the end.

[Lesa Beach · Rating 2 out of 5]

In One Good Reason, a young man and woman are found shot dead in a car. Because of poor race relations in the precinct, a black detective is called in to help with solving the case and his immediate superior isn't exactly happy with that.
While there was much crime involved, it really wasn't thrilling. There was the mystery of who shot the couple, but it was more a dark story of social problems that plague the community. There's a lot of people to keep track of and I started skimming. I really didn't like any of the characters. I hate to not finish a story. There was a twist that I found interesting, but... The end was not what I expected and I found it disappointing. The story was just not for me.
Emma Salisbury writes well enough, but I probably won't read any more of her work.
I received a free copy for my review.

[Carolyn Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One Good Reason” by Emma Salisbury is a compulsive read, not only for the suspense of solving the murders of two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks, but also because of all the pressure on D.S. Chris Ashcroft’s shoulders. Family dysfunction and societal pressures both conspire to put Ashcroft in the crosshairs of a tense investigation. He’s a Black detective being dropped into a war zone between rival gangs, a situation where his loyalties are tested. Salisbury is a deft writer, teasing out the complexities of a layered plot and offering clues in a seamless and compelling narrative. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy and highly recommend this taut thriller.

[Beaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly gripped by this story although unusually I did manage to guess one twist, there are a few though! I would definitely read more of this series. I started on book 3 I think x