Salford Quays

Salford Quays is the setting of Jo Stuart’s new home and National Crime Agency office, bringing the practical demands of her work into close proximity with her developing relationship with Agata. The location links a fresh start after Jo’s separation to the professional life that defines much of the novel’s action.

Setting and Jo’s Move

After Jo’s civil partnership with Abbie is dissolved, she must sell their apartment; Abbie is eight months pregnant and wants her share. When a cash buyer offers the asking price but needs Jo to leave by the end of the month, Jo finds a suitable apartment at Salford Quays. It is close to work and to Agata’s home on the opposite side of the Huron Basin. Jo considers it too early for them to live together, even though she suspects Agata would be willing. For Jo, the move offers proximity without requiring the relationship to take that step.

Home and Relationship

The Quays apartment becomes part of the space Jo and Agata share. Jo associates its setting with quiet and retreat, and its closeness to Agata helps make their relationship part of her everyday surroundings. The location therefore carries both a private and a practical significance: it gives Jo a home of her own while keeping her near the person with whom she is building a new relationship.

Professional Significance

Salford Quays is also the location of Jo’s office at the National Crime Agency, where she serves on secondment to the Behavioural Sciences Unit. The home’s proximity to that office is one of the reasons she chooses the area. This overlap makes the Quays more than a residential backdrop: it places Jo’s personal fresh start alongside her continuing work as an investigator.