THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2024*** SHORTLISTED FOR THE DEBUT OF THE YEAR at the FINGERPRINT AWARDS ***WOULD YOU KILL FOR A GOOD STORY?'A confident, sassy, pitch-black debut' CAROLINE KEPNES'Your new obsession' ERIN KELLY'Savage, witty and all-consuming' ABIGAIL DEAN'A dark masterpiece. It will work its way under your skin like a splinter' CATRIONA WARD*****Roach - bookseller, loner and true crime fanatic- is not interested in making friends. She has all the company she needs in her serial killer books, murder podcasts and her pet snail, Bleep. That is, until Laura joins the bookshop. With her cute literary tote bags and sunny smile, she's everyone's favourite bookseller. But beneath the shiny veneer, Roach senses a darkness within Laura, the same darkness Roach possesses. And as curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, Roach becomes determined to be a part of Laura's story - whether Laura wants her in it or not. *****'A spectacularly creepy debut ... a tense and disturbing read' GUARDIAN'Tense, addictive and sticky underfoot' JULIA ARMFIELD'A sharp and creepy debut thriller' DAILY MAIL'Utterly unforgettable' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD'Delightfully dark' COSMOPOLITAN, Best New Books'Engrossing, atmospheric and deliciously dark' WILL DEAN'Uncomfortable, claustrophobic, and you won't take your eyes off the pages' BELFAST TELEGRAPH'Impossible to put down' ELIZA CLARK'A sinister and tense debut that will chill you to the core' PLATINUM MAGAZINE'Relentlessly creepy and deeply compulsive' HEATHER DARWENT ISBN 9781529385373 Author Alice Slater