Broadchurch: A Novel by Erin Kelly, Chris Chibnall

First Sentence: One road in, one road out.

There are no murders in sea-side town of Broadchurch; until now. The body of young Danny Latimer has been found lying on the beach at the bottom a cliff. Rather than DS Ellie receiving the promotion she expected, she returns from vacation to learn DI Alex Hardy has been brought in from the outside. Although she resents it, the Latimers are best friends to her family, so Hardy will lead the investigation. With all the suspects being friends of the boy’s family, this is a case to tear apart a town and uncover all the buried secrets, including that of DI Hardy.

Some people may have seen the BBC series. Whether you have or not, this is still an excellent read.
The prologue immediately provides a sense of place, but also leaves us with a sense of dread. 

The characters are succinctly introduced, giving that sense of a small, close community where people either know one another or they are outsiders. Emotions are very well captured here. 

The story is told in third person. For those who watched the television series, the book gives an greater insight into each of the characters. 

What is wonderful is that “Broadchurch” is truly an old-fashioned who-done-it mystery with plenty of suspects, interesting characters, plenty of red herrings, good suspense and a “wow” climax, yet an epilogue that touches the heart. I highly recommend you read the book and, if you can, watch the UK version of the show. Honesty compels me to admit I’ve not seen the American version renamed “Gracepoint.”

BROADCHURCH (Pol Proc-DI Hardy/DS Miller/England-Contemp) – Ex
Kelly, Erin (Based on the story of series creator Chris Chibnall) – standalone
Minotaur Books, 2014