About Sarah Mellor
Sarah Mellor is the author of the Detective Leigh Borrowdale series, based in Liverpool in the late 1970s and 1980s. Her debut novel, The Departed, was published by Harper North in 2025, and the second book in the series, The Silent Places, is out in March 2026. In creating the series and her main character, Sarah was influenced by the amazing women in her life, past and present, the stories of those who are missing, and her psychological work. As well as being a writer, Sarah is a cognitive behavioural therapist who worked for NHS psychological services in Liverpool for many years.
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BECKETT
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‘Leigh is a brilliant character, disorganised and wrong-headed in her personal life but tenacious, compassionate and cunning in pursuing justice. She is not about to give up, whatever it costs.’
‘The main character Leigh is a brilliant portrayal of the flaws of someone trying to cope with trauma and misogyny.’
‘… maternal, compassionate and determined in her quest to find her missing brother, as well as the killer of a nine year old girl.’
‘Not only a gripping thriller but a really acute dissection of what it was like for a lone woman DC in 1970’s Liverpool.’
‘She breaks the rules. She makes her own rules. And she gets stuff done. Seriously flawed. Vulnerable but strong. She daren’t let anyone in. I loved her.’