Synopses & Reviews
A gripping thriller from New York Times bestseller and the acclaimed author of Broken Harbor and The Secret Place
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddoxhis partner and closest friendfind themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
Richly atmospheric, stunning in its complexity, and utterly convincing and surprising to the end, In the Woods is sure to enthrall fans of Mystic River and The Lovely Bones. And look for French's new mystery, Broken Harbor, for more of the Dublin Murder Squad.
Review
andquot;... a final twist proves the perfect coda for this exemplar of psychological suspense.andrdquo; andmdash;
Booklist (starred review)
Review
and#160;Praise for THEand#160;CRADLEand#160;INand#160;THEand#160;GRAVE:
andldquo;Enthrallingly complex . . . A multi-stranded narrative that gripsandrdquo;and#160; - The Sunday Times
and#160;
andldquo;Intriguing, unnerving and engrossing . . . Hannah has timing down to an art. What she has created in [The Cradle in the Grave] is more than a murder mystery. It is the most adept of psychological thrillers, in which - as with Hannahandrsquo;s other novels - the psychosis lying just below the surface of the human personality is exposed . . . A remarkable novel, and an adventure to read . . . Undoubtedly a first-class whodunit that will keep you reading long into the night.andrdquo;and#160; - Scotsman
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah has been rightly praised for intricate and accomplished psychological thrillers which dissect the dark side of human relationships, and her fifth novel, A ROOM SWEPT WHITE, covers obsession, manipulation, meltdown and all points in between.andrdquo;and#160; - Guardian
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah has quickly established herself as a doyenne of the andlsquo;home horrorandrsquo; school of psychological tension, taking domestic situations and wringing from them dark, gothic thrills . . . Combining probability theory, poetry and murder, this is a densely plotted suspenser with a coded puzzle that would grace a Golden Age mystery.andrdquo;and#160; - Financial Times
and#160;
andldquo;So convincing andndash; and so unsettling. Hannah takes domestic scenarios, adds disquieting touches and turns up the suspense until youandrsquo;re checking under the bed for murders.andrdquo; - Independent
and#160;
andldquo;Brilliantly pacy and penetratingandrdquo; Daily Mirror
and#160;
andldquo;Classic Hannah, with genuinely thought-provoking issues and thoroughly believable characters - eshing out a plot of satisfying complexity. Compelling.andrdquo; Yorkshire Evening Post
and#160;
andldquo;Hannah is a master of intense psychological thrillers . . . Full of twists and turns, and terrifying, tooandrdquo; **** Heat
Review
and#160;
Praise for THEand#160;TRUTH-TELLER'Sand#160;LIE:
and#160;
andldquo;Meticulously plotted . . . so dark and shocking.andrdquo; andmdash;Associated Press
and#160;
andldquo;Hannah takes pains to throw her readers off-balance andmdash; and succeeds brilliantly.andrdquo;
andmdash;Seattle Times
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah will leave you bleary eyed after nights of suspenseful page turning.andrdquo;
andmdash;Murder, Mystery and Mayhem.com
and#160;
and#160;
andldquo;Hannah, who understands psychological mayhem as well as Ruth Rendell and maybe even Sigmund Freud, is best read with a crisis counselor on speed-dial. The tight plotting and excruciatingly precise clues make for a superlatively uneasy read.andrdquo; andmdash; Kirkus
and#160;
andldquo;Grippingandhellip; itandrsquo;s like watching a nightmare come to life.andrdquo; andndash; Tana French, author of IN THE WOODS, THE LIKENESS and FAITHFUL PLACE
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah is a prodigious talent. I canandrsquo;t wait to see what she does.andrdquo; Laura Lippman, author of LIFE SENTENCES
and#160;
andldquo;An utterly gripping plot, this is the standout thriller of the year.andrdquo; andmdash;Elle, Read of the Year (UK)
and#160;
andldquo;Intense andhellip; Full of clever plot twists, this satisfying shocker about andlsquo;the victims and the perpetrators of violent crimesandrsquo; suggest how obsessive love, while not a crime, is certainly within hurting distance.andrdquo;andmdash;Publishers Weekly
and#160;
'What makes this novel work so well is that more than one character has a bit of a screw loose - even the detectives on the case are grappling with some crippling personal issues - and it takes the full ride of the novel to find out who is playing whom.' - Time Out (UK)
and#160;
'Hannah's second novel is a beautifully written chiller-thriller about the after-effect of rape. It grips from start to finish - a grip which held me against my will because the sustained atmosphere of mild hysteria is hard to take . . . I couldn't put it down' -Literary Review (UK)and#160;
and#160;
'This is a far better-written book than any genre label might suggest.and#160; Hannah is a respected poet and uses the fascinating motif of the sundial not only to provide the reader with clues but to underline perceptions of life, time and death.and#160; It's also significant that she won a Daphne du Maurier award.and#160; Her powerful subjects of obsession with the past, and fear in the present, testify that she has made a transition to the narrative world of that iconic writer.' andndash; Independent (UK)
and#160;
'A superbly creepy, twisty thriller about obsessive love, psychological torture, and the darkest chambers of the human heart.' -The Times (UK)
and#160;
'Another success for this inventive writer.' - Sunday Telegraph (UK)
and#160;
'The terror created by Hannah will continue to lurk on the edges of your sub-conscious long after you've put this book down'- The News of the World (UK)
Review
and#160;
Praise for THEand#160;DEADand#160;LIEand#160;DOWN:
andquot;A andlsquo;must readandrsquo; for Hannah fans, and a recommended andlsquo;page turnerandrsquo; for those who have yet to sample her taut writing and intricate plotting.andquot;and#160; andmdash;Sacramento Book Review
and#160;
andldquo;A superb thriller. . . A master of intricate plotting, Hannah seamlessly melds the police procedural with a gothic-inspired whodunit.andrdquo;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly (starred)
and#160;
andldquo;A sense of dread pervades this outstanding British thriller from the start. . . . Hannah deals brilliantly with the issues of artistic accomplishment and success, unrequited emotion, revenge, and retribution. This stunning psychological thriller from the author of the equally outstanding The Wrong Mother has the complexities of love at its core.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;Booklist (starred)
and#160;
andldquo;A complex, unnerving study of relationships, with none more stressful than that of Sgt. Zailer and DC Waterhouse. Her exemplary skills put Hannah right up there with Ruth Rendell.andrdquo;
andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
and#160;
Review
andldquo;A dark, psychological thriller that will have you changing all the locks on your doors.andrdquo;andnbsp; andndash;
Shelf Awareness Review
andldquo;A dark, psychological thriller that will have you changing all the locks on your doors.andrdquo;andnbsp; andndash;
Shelf Awareness Review
andquot;... a final twist proves the perfect coda for this exemplar of psychological suspense.andrdquo; andmdash;
Booklist (starred review)
Review
and#160;Praise for THEand#160;CRADLEand#160;INand#160;THEand#160;GRAVE:
andldquo;Enthrallingly complex . . . A multi-stranded narrative that gripsandrdquo;and#160; - The Sunday Times
and#160;
andldquo;Intriguing, unnerving and engrossing . . . Hannah has timing down to an art. What she has created in [The Cradle in the Grave] is more than a murder mystery. It is the most adept of psychological thrillers, in which - as with Hannahandrsquo;s other novels - the psychosis lying just below the surface of the human personality is exposed . . . A remarkable novel, and an adventure to read . . . Undoubtedly a first-class whodunit that will keep you reading long into the night.andrdquo;and#160; - Scotsman
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah has been rightly praised for intricate and accomplished psychological thrillers which dissect the dark side of human relationships, and her fifth novel, A ROOM SWEPT WHITE, covers obsession, manipulation, meltdown and all points in between.andrdquo;and#160; - Guardian
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah has quickly established herself as a doyenne of the andlsquo;home horrorandrsquo; school of psychological tension, taking domestic situations and wringing from them dark, gothic thrills . . . Combining probability theory, poetry and murder, this is a densely plotted suspenser with a coded puzzle that would grace a Golden Age mystery.andrdquo;and#160; - Financial Times
and#160;
andldquo;So convincing andndash; and so unsettling. Hannah takes domestic scenarios, adds disquieting touches and turns up the suspense until youandrsquo;re checking under the bed for murders.andrdquo; - Independent
and#160;
andldquo;Brilliantly pacy and penetratingandrdquo; Daily Mirror
and#160;
andldquo;Classic Hannah, with genuinely thought-provoking issues and thoroughly believable characters - eshing out a plot of satisfying complexity. Compelling.andrdquo; Yorkshire Evening Post
and#160;
andldquo;Hannah is a master of intense psychological thrillers . . . Full of twists and turns, and terrifying, tooandrdquo; **** Heat
Review
and#160;
Praise for THEand#160;TRUTH-TELLER'Sand#160;LIE:
and#160;
andldquo;Meticulously plotted . . . so dark and shocking.andrdquo; andmdash;Associated Press
and#160;
andldquo;Hannah takes pains to throw her readers off-balance andmdash; and succeeds brilliantly.andrdquo;
andmdash;Seattle Times
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah will leave you bleary eyed after nights of suspenseful page turning.andrdquo;
andmdash;Murder, Mystery and Mayhem.com
and#160;
and#160;
andldquo;Hannah, who understands psychological mayhem as well as Ruth Rendell and maybe even Sigmund Freud, is best read with a crisis counselor on speed-dial. The tight plotting and excruciatingly precise clues make for a superlatively uneasy read.andrdquo; andmdash; Kirkus
and#160;
andldquo;Grippingandhellip; itandrsquo;s like watching a nightmare come to life.andrdquo; andndash; Tana French, author of IN THE WOODS, THE LIKENESS and FAITHFUL PLACE
and#160;
andldquo;Sophie Hannah is a prodigious talent. I canandrsquo;t wait to see what she does.andrdquo; Laura Lippman, author of LIFE SENTENCES
and#160;
andldquo;An utterly gripping plot, this is the standout thriller of the year.andrdquo; andmdash;Elle, Read of the Year (UK)
and#160;
andldquo;Intense andhellip; Full of clever plot twists, this satisfying shocker about andlsquo;the victims and the perpetrators of violent crimesandrsquo; suggest how obsessive love, while not a crime, is certainly within hurting distance.andrdquo;andmdash;Publishers Weekly
and#160;
'What makes this novel work so well is that more than one character has a bit of a screw loose - even the detectives on the case are grappling with some crippling personal issues - and it takes the full ride of the novel to find out who is playing whom.' - Time Out (UK)
and#160;
'Hannah's second novel is a beautifully written chiller-thriller about the after-effect of rape. It grips from start to finish - a grip which held me against my will because the sustained atmosphere of mild hysteria is hard to take . . . I couldn't put it down' -Literary Review (UK)and#160;
and#160;
'This is a far better-written book than any genre label might suggest.and#160; Hannah is a respected poet and uses the fascinating motif of the sundial not only to provide the reader with clues but to underline perceptions of life, time and death.and#160; It's also significant that she won a Daphne du Maurier award.and#160; Her powerful subjects of obsession with the past, and fear in the present, testify that she has made a transition to the narrative world of that iconic writer.' andndash; Independent (UK)
and#160;
'A superbly creepy, twisty thriller about obsessive love, psychological torture, and the darkest chambers of the human heart.' -The Times (UK)
and#160;
'Another success for this inventive writer.' - Sunday Telegraph (UK)
and#160;
'The terror created by Hannah will continue to lurk on the edges of your sub-conscious long after you've put this book down'- The News of the World (UK)
Review
and#160;
Praise for THEand#160;DEADand#160;LIEand#160;DOWN:
andquot;A andlsquo;must readandrsquo; for Hannah fans, and a recommended andlsquo;page turnerandrsquo; for those who have yet to sample her taut writing and intricate plotting.andquot;and#160; andmdash;Sacramento Book Review
and#160;
andldquo;A superb thriller. . . A master of intricate plotting, Hannah seamlessly melds the police procedural with a gothic-inspired whodunit.andrdquo;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly (starred)
and#160;
andldquo;A sense of dread pervades this outstanding British thriller from the start. . . . Hannah deals brilliantly with the issues of artistic accomplishment and success, unrequited emotion, revenge, and retribution. This stunning psychological thriller from the author of the equally outstanding The Wrong Mother has the complexities of love at its core.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;Booklist (starred)
and#160;
andldquo;A complex, unnerving study of relationships, with none more stressful than that of Sgt. Zailer and DC Waterhouse. Her exemplary skills put Hannah right up there with Ruth Rendell.andrdquo;
andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
and#160;
Synopsis
"A superbly creepy, twisty thriller about obsessive love, psychological torture, and the darkest chambers of the human heart." -The Times (UK)
Naomi Jenkins knows all about secrets: three years ago something so terrible happened to her that she's never told anyone about it. Now, Naomi has another secret: her relationship with the unhappily married Robert Haworth. When Robert vanishes without explanation, Naomi knows he must have come to harm. But the police are less convinced, particularly when Robert's wife insists he is not missing. In desperation, Naomi decides that if she can't persuade the detectives that Robert is in danger, she'll convince them that he is a danger to others. Naomi knows how to describe the actions of a psychopath; all she needs to do is dig up her own traumatic past.
Synopsis
A creepy, fast-paced psychological thriller from the author of The Wrong Mother and The Other Woman’s House It’s every mother’s worst nightmare. When Alice Fancourt leaves her newborn daughter at home with her husband for the first time, she comes home to a horrifying discovery: her child has been swapped with another baby. In near hysterics, Alice rushes to call the police, but soon discovers that no one, not even her husband David, believes her. When the police arrive, Detective Simon Waterhouse is drawn to the lovely Alice but doubts her story and suspects that she is suffering from postpartum depression. Meanwhile, David is growing increasingly hostile and Alice begins to fear that her baby’s disappearance may be linked to his first wife’s untimely death. Can Alice convince the police before it’s too late? The first book in Sophie Hannah’s acclaimed Zailer and Waterhouse series established her as a new master of psychological suspense. For fans of Tana French and Tess Gerritsen, Little Face is a chilling look at the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child.
Synopsis
A chilling exploration of a mother’s unspeakable betrayal from the author of Little Face Sally Thorning is watching the news with her husband when she hears an unexpected name—Mark Bretherick. It’s a name she shouldn’t know, but last year Sally treated herself to a secret vacation—away from her hectic family life—and met a man. After their brief affair, the two planned to never meet again. But now, Mark’s wife and daughter are dead—and the safety of Sally’s own family is in doubt. Sophie Hannah established herself as a new master of psychological suspense with her previous novel, Little Face. Now with accomplished prose and a plot guaranteed to keep readers guessing, The Wrong Mother is Hannah’s most captivating work yet.
Synopsis
Read Sophie Hannah's posts on the Penguin Blog. A breathtaking novel of psychological suspense from the author of Little Face and The Wrong Mother
Featuring the return of Sergeant Charlotte "Charlie" Zailer and DC Simon Waterhouse, The Dead Lie Down is another sophisticated, addictive read from the new mistress of the page-turner.
Ruth Bussey once did something wrong-horribly wrong-and was nearly destroyed by her punishment. Now, she has tentatively rebuilt her life and unexpectedly found love with a man named Aidan Seed. But Aidan also has a secret-he killed someone years ago, a woman named Mary Trelease. Ruth's horror turns to confusion when she realizes that she knows Mary Trelease, and Mary is very much alive.
Synopsis
“A perfectly executed psychological thriller” (The Guardian) from the internationally bestselling author of The Wrong Mother and The Other Woman’s House Television producer Fliss Benson is surprised to discover that her superstar boss, Laurie Nattrass, is stepping down from his post. She’s even more surprised that he asks her to take over his documentary about crib-death mothers wrongly accused of murder. Thanks to Laurie’s advocacy, three women are now free, while the doctor who testified against them is under investigation for misconduct. Then one of the mothers is found dead. In her pocket is a card with sixteen numbers on it, arranged in four rows of four- exactly like the anonymous card Fliss has just received in the mail. The fifth book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Cradle in the Grave combines the puzzle of a Golden Age mystery with a masterful tale of psychological suspense that Tana French and Laura Lippman fans will love.
Synopsis
The latest psychological thriller from the internationally bestselling author of The Wrong Mother and The Cradle in the Grave It's past midnight, but Connie Bowskill can't sleep. To pass the time, she logs on to a real estate website in search of a particular house, one she is obsessed with for reasons she's too scared to even admit to herself. As she clicks through the virtual tour, she comes across a scene from a nightmare: a woman lying facedown on the living room floor in a pool of blood. But when she returns to show her husband, there is no body, no bloodandmdash;just a perfectly ordinary room, with a perfectly clean beige carpet.
The sixth book in Sophie Hannahandrsquo;s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Other Womanandrsquo;s House offers unforgettable suspense and a heart-stopping conclusion that Ruth Rendell and Tana French fans will love.
Synopsis
"A superbly creepy, twisty thriller” (The Times (London)) by the internationally best-selling author of The Other Woman’s House and The Wrong Mother Naomi Jenkins knows all about secrets: three years ago something so terrible happened to her that she's never told anyone about it. Now, Naomi has another secret: her relationship with the unhappily married Robert Haworth. When Robert vanishes without explanation, Naomi knows he must have come to harm. But the police are less convinced, particularly when Robert's wife insists he is not missing. In desperation, Naomi decides that if she can't persuade the detectives that Robert is in danger, she'll convince them that he is a danger to others. Naomi knows how to describe the actions of a psychopath; all she needs to do is dig up her own traumatic past. The second book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Truth-Teller’s Lie is a chillingly smart suspense novel sure to appeal to fans of Tess Gerritsen and Gillian Flynn.
Synopsis
A chilling, compulsively readable novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Dead Lie Down and The Other Woman’s House Sally Thorning is watching the news with her husband one night when she hears an unexpected name—Mark Bretherick. It’s a name she shouldn’t know, but last year after a business trip canceled at the last minute, Sally treated herself to a secret vacation—away from her hectic family life—and met a man. After their brief affair, the two planned to never meet again. All the details are the same: his job, where he lives, his wife Geraldine and daughter Lucy. But the photograph on the news is not the man Sally knew. And now Geraldine and Lucy are dead. The third book in Sophie Hannah’s acclaimed Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Wrong Mother delivers white knuckle suspense and Hannah’s trademark plot twists, and is perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Rendell.
Synopsis
A heart-stopping novel of psychological suspense from the internationally bestselling author of The Wrong Mother and The Other Woman’s House Ruth Bussey once did something wrong – horribly wrong – and was nearly destroyed by her punishment. Now, she has tentatively rebuilt her life and unexpectedly found love with a man named Aidan Seed. But Aidan also has a secret, and one day he confides in Ruth: years ago, he killed a woman named Mary Trelease. Ruth's initial horror turns to confusion when she realizes that she knows Mary Trelease, and Mary is very much alive. So why does Aidan insist that she’s dead? The fourth book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Dead Lie Down is a sophisticated, addictive page-turner that will appeal to fans of Laura Lippman and Tana French.
Synopsis
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
Richly atmospheric, stunning in its complexity, and utterly convincing and surprising to the end, In the Woods is sure to enthrall fans of Mystic River and The Lovely Bones. And look for French's new mystery, Broken Harbor, for more of the Dublin Murder Squad.
About the Author
Tana French grew up in Ireland, Italy, the United States, and Malawi. She is the author of In the Woods (winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity and Barry awards), The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbor (winner of the LA Times prize for Best Mystery/Thriller) and The Secret Place. She lives in Dublin with her husband and two children.