Black Thorn

Sarah Hilary, Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year winner and author of Fragile, returns with Black Thorn, another compulsive psychological thriller that questions how much you know about the people who live next to you . . .

'An astonishingly gifted writer' Marian Keyes

Blackthorn Ashes was meant to be their forever home. For the first six families moving into the exclusive new housing development, it was a chance to live a peaceful life on the cliffs overlooking the Cornish sea, safe in the knowledge that it had been created just for them.

But six weeks later, paradise is lost. Six people are dead. And Blackthorn Ashes is left abandoned and unfinished, its dark shadows hiding all manner of secrets.

One of its surviving residents, Agnes Gale, is determined to find out the truth about what happened. Even if that truth is deadlier than she could have ever believed possible . . .

Praise for Black Thorn:

'In Black Thorn a small piece of the world collapses - metaphorically, literally and emotionally. This novel is immersive, claustrophobic, unbearably tense and quite brilliant' Ann Cleeves

‘Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff. Black Thorn has the atmosphere and drama of a modern-day du Maurier novel. Sarah Hilary’s uncanny ability to make readers not just see through her characters’ eyes but feel through their skin is unparalleled’ Erin Kelly

‘A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told’ Megan Abbott

‘Exudes a tightly-controlled menace that ratchets up to full-blown claustrophobia as the pages turn. A book that oozes under your skin from the opening sentence’ Vaseem Khan

‘Brilliant. Taking a really deep dive into some dark spaces that Sarah brings vividly to life, it's wonderful and unlike anything else I've read lately’ Mick Herron

‘Multi-layered, unexpected, and carrying a strong emotional punch, Black Thorn is refreshingly different. Sarah Hilary is an exceptionally gifted writer’ Sharon Bolton

‘An absolute master of her craft. Beautiful writing. This book is fascinating on so many levels. Not your run-of-the-mill thriller. A haunting captivating book’ Imran Mahmood

'An *extraordinary* book. Beautifully written, densely plotted, with an uncanny insight into the best and worst of family relationships' Emma Flint

'A stunning, haunting and often moving novel. I loved it' Anna Mazzola

'Sarah Hilary has done it again with this tale of toxicity in all its forms. Excellent writing and tight plotting on top of shifting sands make Black Thorn an unforgettable read with the most sympathetic protagonist I've read in years' Liz Nugent

'Sarah Hilary is a writer with all the gifts: character and psychology, language and one-more-chapter suspense. In twisting, turning, ever-changing Black Thorn, she shows us how very easily the wrong people can turn paradise into hell on earth' Lucie Whitehouse