Laying Out the Bones

Flash flooding on Salisbury Plain brings to light a skeleton, that of drug-user Lee Geary, who was reported missing nine years previously. At first, it appears to be a case of misadventure, but as DI Matt Lockyer and DC Gemma Broad investigate further, they discover that Geary was a suspect in the murder of a young woman.

He and two others who were interviewed in connection with the woman’s death all died or disappeared shortly afterwards. Is this a strange coincidence or is someone avenging the young woman’s death? This is a story with plenty of twists and surprises as new information comes to light and Lockyer and Broad are forced to rethink their assumptions.

The most striking aspect of this novel is its setting, both in terms of time and place. Salisbury Plain, with its ancient pathways, burial sites and folklore is atmospherically evoked. This landscape is overlaid with new pathways: those of travellers and festival goers moving from one camp to another, stepping out of the rat race to live more authentically with nature.

Coupled with this sense of overlapping history is the setting of the sweltering summer of 2020 and the Covid lockdown measures that were in place. Interviews take place over webcam or from behind facemasks. A brooding threat throughout the novel is the subplot of Lockyer’s mother, hospitalised with complications from Covid.

The subplots add depth to the story, giving the characters lives and problems beyond their role as police officers. Lockyer struggles to know the right thing to do when his neighbour confesses to a decades-old crime, and further compromises himself by embarking on a relationship with a witness in the case. Broad, wilting in the heat, is saddled with a controlling partner.

For me, the character weaknesses detracted from what was an excellent story. Whilst Lockyer comes across as likeable but lonely, caring and conflicted, at times these mean he lacks integrity. Broad, loyal to Lockyer to the extent of being willing to bend the law and jeopardise her own career, is nevertheless seemingly unable to stand up for herself against her partner. Her constant suffering with the heat began to grate.

The other characters add depth, colour and conflict to the story, from the disgruntled, suspicious police colleague to the adopted boy trying to escape his childhood demons by reinventing himself. Webb adds layers to each character, making them fully rounded and believable, and is careful to show not only how the characters present themselves, but also how other characters view and interpret them.

This is the second outing for DI Lockyer. Just enough backstory from the first book is included so new readers can catch up, and it is skilfully interwoven so it never intrudes. There’s a good balance between the development of the main plot and the underlying subplots, and a good variety of pace and tension that keep the reader turning the pages. Despite my quibbles above, Lockyer and Broad make a likeable crime fighting duo, and I look forward to reading more of their adventures.