Fragile Cord

Police are horrified and saddened when they arrive at a crime scene to discover a six year old boy drowned in his bath and his mother dead by her bed. Was this a murder suicide and, if so, why would a young mother kill her son, her unborn baby and herself? 

Detective Sergeant Kevin Coupland and Detective Constable Alex Moreton from Salford Police lead the investigation. With such a case it is difficult for the discovery of evidence not to affect the private lives of the detectives, especially as Alex has a son the same age as Kyle, the dead boy. The police are also investigating another case where a street robbery led to the stabbing of a man who had been having dinner with his family.

 As the investigation continues it becomes obvious that the young mother had a tragic secret that was about to be revealed causing her to take such drastic action. The detectives also discover that the two cases have a link.

As well as describing the investigation of the two cases, Fragile Cord by Emma Salisbury is about relationships - the marriage of Kevin Coupland and his wife which appears to be on shakey ground and Alex Moreton's concerns about balancing family life and police work.

Although an absorbing, often troubling story of crime and its effects, often over generations, this novel is defintely more than a crime story. It is also a book about people. This is the first book in the DS Coupland series and I will certainly be reading other books in this series.