This is the first book in a series. It is a police procedural. The characters are engaging. It is a twisty mystery. The writing is very good. The setting is excellent.

A twisty and atmospheric Wiltshire-set crime novel. This has an interesting cast of characters that carry the story along a nice pace and create depth to the story. Great plot and I found myself filling an afternoon reading this in one sitting as I found it so enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest , unbiased review. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Detective Matt Lockyer receives a call from Hedy Lambert- a woman he put inside for murder fourteen years ago. She informs him that the man she was originally accused of killing has turned up alive and well and begs him to reopen her case. Lockyer had been the one who secured Hedy’s conviction, but he never truly wanted to believe she was guilty. This new information makes him question whether he got the outcome right -is he being manipulated or was he responsible for jailing an innocent woman?

Stay Buried is a slow burning mystery which had me hooked right to the very end. There were several layers to uncover, and around half way through the momentum really steps up as we have a number of suspects lined up with potential motives. I couldn’t stop switching from one to the other and enjoyed that we kept on uncovering new things throughout.
I thought the characterisation was spot on in this book. They were all very well thought out and even some of the most annoying characters you felt sorry for, as the author told us enough about their history for us to develop an understanding of them. I have read some people thought the main protagonist was ‘boring’, but you can feel the weight he is carrying. The grief, the guilt, the responsibility; you could truly emphasise with his pain.

Themes in the book include inequalities, injustice, loyalty, grief, and one which particularly resonated with me and was delivered well was the subject of sibling loss. This related to many of the characters in the book and Kate Webb did it sensitively and realistically!

Overall, a fantastic book for thriller lovers. Pleased it is the first in the series and we will be seeing more of Detective Matt Lockyer!

The first in a potential new series. Initially I found the story a little slow but around half way it really picks up and then I couldn't put it down.
If you enjoy a great police procedural story then this is the book for you.

This book introduces the reader to DI Matt Lockyer, who following a bad decision in a recent investigation has been side lined to working cold cases.
One day, the DI receives a phone call from someone who is prison for murder saying that the murder victim is alive. The story follows the subsequent investigation.
Initially I found the story a little slow but around half way it really picks up and then I couldn't put it down.
If you enjoy a great police procedural story then this is the book for you.
Thank you to Quercus books for this read.

I have never before read anything by Katherine Webb, but that needs to change as soon as possible, as this book took me by surprise, I enjoyed it very much. It ticked so many boxes for me:perfect characterisation, attention to detail and surroundings. I found the character descriptions sublime, and the fact that personal grief of the protagonists has been added to the story, giving it more depth, and as a reader you really sympathise with what the protagonists are having to deal with.

A short blurb:
DI Lockyer, 'a tall rangy figure, with dark messy hair and a crooked nose' , - a bit of a loner -, has been sidetracked in his career by a previous case. He now mainly works on cold cases. One day, he receives a call from Hedy Lambert, a woman he arrested for murder 14 years ago. She was found guilty and has been serving a life sentence in prison ever since.
Hedy says she is innocent, and wants DI Lockyer to reopen the case, perhaps new forensics will bring a different light to the case.

Fourteen years ago, Hedy Lambert worked as a housekeeper for the Ferries family, a family haunted by misfortune: Helen Ferries hanged herself in the barn, son Harry then lived for years in discord with his father, Roland Ferris, a history professor.
His father is now dying, and after years of no contact, he has now come home.
Hedy was found guilty of the murder of Michael Brown, whose body was found in the shed on the Ferris’ premises.

I was immediately taken by the pleasant writing style, there is an eye for detail, and the descriptions of the surroundings are atmospheric.
The narrative also has some weaknesses: in particular, I found the story of a father insisting that the victim is his son rather strange. He insisted it was his son Harry, while it was later confirmed that the victim was Michale Brown.
How could a father not recognise his own son, even after all these years?

The author uses well-developed characters, in terms of suspense and action little happens initially, leaving you as a reader in the dark about what exactly happened for a very long time. Despite the slow start, I didn't find the story ever boring, the quality of the writing more than made up for it. Halfway through, the story gains momentum by a newspaper article about an issue that is nevertheless linked to this murder.

The later part of the story grabbed me tremendously, there is a room for emotional issues that come into play when a sibling dies, a gap that can never be filled by a friend or a partner later in life. The reader is continually caught off guard. Is Hedy manipulative, and is DI Lockyer letting his emotions guide him? Is he blind to what actually took place?
I liked the ending, but it was somewhat unsatisfying for me personally. I won't comment further on this, otherwise the clue of the story will be spilled.

A great story, which also addresses the theme that some people never get what they deserve. Life just seems so unfair at times.
I have since purchased another title by this author, and look forward to reading another story, with family secrets and heartbreak.
Highly recommended, 5 stars.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I leave this review voluntarily.

Stay Buried is the first book in the new series of DI Matt Lockyer by Kate Webb and what an entrance he has made.

Side lined to the cold case team after a decision to help a friend in a recent case back fired or did it? Matt see this opportunity to get justice for the victims and their families and his determination is made even more relevant by the personal tragedy he has suffered.

A police procedural told with depth and intrigue, set in a descriptive setting with a collection of interesting characters very much looking forward to seeing the development of this series.

I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to reading this book as I am familiar with the location of it's setting and I like dective/police procedure stories. But I didn't finish it. It took so long to get started and it was so laboured in describing the characters and the plot I gave up.

This was a cleverly plotted slow burner of a book which really gripped me. It is full of buried secrets which gradually surface as the novel progresses.
DI Matt Lockyer is reviewing cold cases, having been banished to this department after a mistake he made in a previous investigation.
One day he is contacted by Hedy who has been in prison for murder for 14 years- it was Matt’s first investigation in the police and he helped to ensure that she was convicted. However there was always something odd about the case and a strange attraction to Hedy. When she calls with some new information, Lockyer resolves to reinvestigate using advances in forensics to help.
However he hits dead end after dead end and he begins to wonder if he was right in the first place.
This book is full of different layers and clues but it remains impossible to get to the truth of the matter and as the reader follows the same paths as Lockyer it looks like it is going to be incredibly difficult to solve the case.
Meanwhile Matt is trying to support his parents who live on a failing farm and all 3 are mourning the loss of his brother, Chris, who was murdered many years earlier.
As more secrets are revealed about the murder Hedy has been accused of it looks like any resolution could lead to further heartache for all concerned.
The last few pages of the book seemed to imply a follow up novel and I’m already looking forward to reading more about DI Lockyer and the other characters in “Stay Buried”
This was definitely a five star atmospheric read for me and recommended to anyone who enjoys police procedural mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for my review copy.

A compulsive read that was hard to put down. Good characters with hidden depths. Matt lockyer was an interesting character, ready to admit that he may have made a mistake, haunted by his younger brother's unsolved murder, unhappy that he couldn't give practical help to his parents and all the while fighting the attraction he felt towards the woman that he had sent to prison for murder many years ago. The ending teased links to further books in the pipeline.

Stay Buried by Kate Webb
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher:quercusbooks
Publication Date: 19 Jan 2023
Genre :Mystery and Thrillers

Stay Buried introduces readers to DI Matt Lockyer. After choosing to protect, a friend finds himself side-lined from significant crimes to cold cases. Which, for Matt, isn't such a bad thing. It means he'll hopefully get the chance to find his brother's killer.

But before he can do that, he's faced with a case from his past. When incarcerated, Hedy Lambert calls to inform him that the man she was found guilty of killing has turned out to be alive.

And as Matt has always been unsure of Hedy's guilt. He's determined to take another look at the case and find out where this so-called victim has been all these years.

And with a steady pace, plenty of procedural detail and likeable characters. Not to mention a few twists. This was an engaging read. I enjoyed it even if I could work out who the natural killer was.


#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #statburied #mysteryandthriller @quercusbooks

Stay Buried introduces readers to DI Matt Lockyer. Who after making a choice to protect a friend finds himself side-lined from major crimes to cold cases. Which for Matt isn't such a bad thing. As it means he'll hopefully get the chance to find his brothers killer.

But before he can do that he's faced with a case from his past. When incarcerated Hedy Lambert calls to inform him that the man she was found guilty of killing has turned up alive.

And as Matt has always been unsure of Hedy's guilt. He's determined to take another look at the case and find out where this so called victim has been all these years.

And with a steady pace, plenty of procedural detail and likable characters. Not to mention a few twists. This was an engaging read. That I did enjoy even if I was able to work out who the real killer was.

Terrific story, setting, characters and writing. Kate Webb has done a great job and earned a place next to the likes of Joy Ellis.

A slow burner with pacing that got better as the book went on. IT had a good storyline that engaged me all the way through and well developed characters. A solid mystery read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of Stay Buried, the first novel to feature DI Matt Lockyer of Wiltshire Police.

14 years ago Matt Lockyer solved the murder of Micky Brown and got Hedy Lambert convicted. Now Hedy is on the phone saying that Harry Ferris, the man Micky Brown was impersonating has turned up alive. Lockyer was never wholly convinced of Hedy’s guilt and welcomes the chance in his new role as a cold case detective to re-open the case.

I loved the premise of Stay Buried as it offers so many permutations and I also really like the police procedural genre, so it was a major temptation for me. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

I must admit that I found much of the novel boring and even the twists at the end were well signposted. It never called me back when I put it down and it was easy to put off picking it up in favour of other things. I understand that this is the author’s first crime novel so I think it is perhaps a learning curve. Her writing experience is obvious in the well crafted prose, but the novel lacks the sharpness and immediacy that crime fiction mostly offers. So, there is no developed investigation plan and that means that it wanders in all sorts of directions with no central focus. Lockyer and DC Broad pick at all sorts of threads, looking for one that will stick, and continually returning to the Ferris household for more information that they never get until the final chapters. I think the novel would be better if shorter and more focused on the goal.

Matt Lockyer is not a particularly likeable character. He’s a diffident loner with a lot of self doubt and haunted by the fact that his brother’s killer was never caught. He leads a nondescript life full of DIY and not much else. Then there’s the weird dynamic between him and Hedy, which seems overly personal and something that should have been nipped in the bud by his superiors. I didn’t get it, but understand that it’s necessary for the plot.

Stay Buried is a solid if unexciting read.

Stay Buried by Kate Webb

Detective Inspector Matt Lockyer has been side-lined to working cold cases, following a bad decision he made in a recent investigation in order to support a friend. Lockyer isn't too bothered though, as it gives him the chance to review some of the cases that keep him up at night and to look into his own brother's senseless killing which still remains unsolved.

On a quiet afternoon Lockyer receives a phone call from prisoner Hedy Lambert - a woman he put inside for murder fourteen years ago. She informs him that the man she was originally accused of killing has turned up alive and well. She begs him to reopen her case.
An enjoyable book with a good plot that kept me interested til the last page. I enjoyed the characters DI Matt Lockyer and the interaction he had with Hedy.