Better Off Dead by Sean Watkin #BetterOffDead @seanwatkinauth @seanwatkinauthor @canelo_co #BookReview #DCIDeSilva #CrimeThriller

 

The emotional fallout from their last case has left DCI de Silva and DS Barclay's lives in tatters. Barclay's marriage has failed and de Silva is still haunted by the loss of her husband and wondering whether she ever really knew him.

When the National Crime Agency takes over their investigation, the duo are reassigned to a cold case. A dismembered body found in Formby woods. Hidden for decades. And then, another body is discovered.

As they dig deeper into the identities of the victims, they uncover a tangled web of awful crimes. And they learn that they can't trust anyone even those closest to them.

A dark and gritty crime thriller, perfect for fans of Luca Veste, M. W. Craven and Russ Thomas.

Better Off Dead by Sean Watkin was published on 26 January 2026 by Canelo Crime. I bought my signed copy from the Stockport Noir Crime Fiction Festival earlier this year. 

I read and reviewed the first in this series; Black Water Rising in December of last year. I've been looking forward to finding out what the author had in store for this amazing detective duo and read this whilst I was away on holiday in Portugal.

I don't think there's a better feeling for a crime fiction fan than when you discover a new author, and when that author seems to improve, even though his first book was amazing, then it's even better. The first in this series was great, but oh my goodness, this one is out of this world. It ticks every single box for me.  The gritty Northern setting of Liverpool, with a pair of detectives who are both flawed, who both have their own demons, but who are both dedicated to catching the murderer that's putting fear into the streets. 

I would advise that readers find the first book if they haven't already. Whilst you could read this as a standalone, there are links to earlier events and having prior knowledge of these really adds to the story, in my view. 

I said it last time and I will repeat myself here, this is NOT COSY CRIME! If you love authors such as MW Craven, then this series is for you. The author doesn't spare his readers, we are privy to some dark and emotional themes here, yet they are handled with care and empathy, with compassion for the victims but also vitriol to the perpetrators. 

de Silva and Barclay are given a cold case; investigating the discovery of a dismembered body that has obviously been buried for years. It soon becomes clear that this may be connected to other similar cases in the area. There's lots to uncover here, and whilst the detectives are working on these cases, they are also dealing with their own problems and issues, and for both of them these two parts of their lives will clash. 

The writing is sublime, the character creation is top notch and the plotting is perfect. Fast becoming one of my favourite authors, and series and I highly recommend it. 

Sean Watkin was born and raised in Liverpool and studied a BA and MA in Creative Writing at Liverpool John Moores University. 

He has been shortlisted for Fresher Writing Award, Book a Break Prize, Bristol Short Story Prize and the McDermid Debut Award. 

His writing has been featured in The Gay UK magazine, and The Content Wolf e-zine, as well as other LGBT+ publications. 

Sean lives in Liverpool with his partner and two dogs.