A mixture of Kafka and Agatha Christie . . . One of the joys of Decoded is its rich evocation of Chinese culture . . . What is this book really about? The clue is in the title. This book is more about Jiang 'decoding' himself than breaking enemy encryption. It is an autobiography operating under the cover of spy fiction - and an utterly fascinating read . . . Olivia Milburn's translation is superb

The novel shines in its consideration of the ambiguous difficulties of living with such brilliance . . . Decoded is compelling for its tightly wrought aphorisms, elegantly turned in Olivia Milburn's translation . . . An engaging and highly unusual read

FINALLY, a great Chinese novel . . . This strange, twisting tale is told in fizzy, vivid and often beautiful prose. It is an absolute joy to read

Decoded is a subtle and complex exploration of cryptography, politics, dreams and their significance . . . There is much of interest in this book, from the strange, superstitious beginning to the gradual decline of the Rong family as the twentieth century progresses . . . But in the end, it's the complexity of the characters that is Decoded's enduring pleasure

Strongly recalls One Hundred Years of Solitude, only this time with the tapestry stitched in silk

The book's subtle ambiguity is extended to its own conclusion, the decoding of which the reader is compelled to take part in. As for the shrewd, poetic, baffled figure at the heart of this maze, Rong Jinzhen comes to perceive the yin and yang of a cosmic order offering not much consolation

Subtle and psychologically focused . . . the central story is a gripping one . . . it leaves you eager to read more of his work

The story echoes many sources, for example mob films, Spaghetti Westerns, hard-boiled crime and social melodrama...The end, especially, is nothing less than a stylistic masterclass

Jo Nesbø’s unstoppable joy of storytelling has found a new avenue

Blood on Snow is Nesbø’s own “pulp fiction”, in two senses. It’s both a tribute to the simple, hard-boiled narrative style from the old days, but there are also parallels with Quentin Tarantino films... Nesbo’s joy of telling stories doesn't leave anything to wish for. As a tribute to the genre, Blood on Snow also succeeds in reminding us that many of these role models had literary qualities that should not be underestimated.

We loved it

Dark, gruesome and unflinching

[A] relentlessly propulsive thriller

A short, pacy little thriller

This book really feels like undiluted essence of Nesbo, a story from the heart, which is among the best he has written

Delivered with simplistic brevity, it will wake you up from a siesta

A short, sharp shock of a thriller

With plotlines aplenty and a compelling cast of characters, this is a hot read for a cold evening.

A wonderful take on the short crime novels of years past, these two are prime examples of how to tell a gripping story in compact form. Among other surprises is the language that’s almost lyrical. Every word counts.

It's hard to know where to start with a book like this. It starts off brilliantly, with probably one of the best openings to a book I have read this year… Hidden is an extremely thought-provoking book… Emma was an author to watch after the release of Falling, but that is the case even more now with Hidden and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Everything about this book was tense. From the horrific opening via deep-rooted flashbacks that continue to resonate to the final so-quick-you-barely-have-time-to-catch-a-breath closing chapters, Hidden is a novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat through every word. Even the heatwave was palpable… Beyond the immediate gritty drama of the whodunnit driving the plot, this story also becomes about dealing with life or death situations and how they affect you. It’s a very clever, very well thought-out storyline, with plenty of red herrings acting as stumbling blocks on the reader’s quest to figure out the identity of the gunman before the characters do… Beginning at the end may usually be a sure-fire way of taking the thrill out of the story but here it just made the countdown all the more electrifying.

Hidden is plotted like the most addictive crime TV shows... The tense network of relationships between the characters, as well as the episodic plotting, really drive this book forward, and the author’s drip-feed of clues as to the shooter’s identity will keep you guessing about his identity, even as we see inside his head... a solid, tense read.

Emma Kavanagh tells this story with great verve, weaving the strands of her story expertly

An intelligent read

I loved Falling, Emma Kavanagh’s debut novel. With Hidden I feel she has taken it to the next level. Emma Kavanagh is bound to be a leading light in psychological thriller authors. This is gripping, compulsive read. If her next book is half as good as this one it will be a cracking read.

This book is a refreshing take on your traditional thriller. There is no lengthy police investigation after the event - instead, the entire book is devoted to events prior to the shooting. Less a 'who done it' than a 'who's going to do it?' And it works brilliantly, with Emma Kavanagh laying her bait cleverly. Just when you think you've worked everything out, she throws in a bit more information and you realise you're barking up quite the wrong tree. Hidden is a very well-written book, packed with detail yet remaining a book so easy to read that you could devour it in just a few greedy gulps. Dialogue is relevant and characterisation is excellent, making for a most enjoyable, and layered, read.

I think this is the first book I’ve read where the main police character is a Police Firearms Officer rather than a detective. This fresh angle really makes the story stand out, as does the rest of the brilliantly drawn characters and the complex relationships (and hidden secrets) they have with each other. It’s hard to go into detail about this book without giving away spoilers, but what I can say is that it’s a story that keeps you on your toes as a reader. I love books that keep me guessing and challenge me to work out who is responsible, and this story did just that. With several crimes taking place, multiple narrators giving glimpses into different elements of the story, and a super pacey non-linear timeline, the author cleverly ramps up the suspense and the mystery, and kept me guessing right to the end. This is a gritty, tense, twisty page-turner of a book – and a must read for crime and thriller fans.

A second novel is a tricky beast – can the author do it again? Can they build on the success of the first? Can it follow in the same genre without being too much the same?
Kavanagh has succeeded with Hidden when other authors have failed. Similarly to some series on television, the novel starts with the crime and then takes the reader back a stage, to the start of the action. Rather than peeling away the layers to get at ‘who dun it,’ Kavanagh builds up the layers, so that we get to the ‘why’ of ‘who dun it’. Clever stuff, with multiple viewpoints. Kavanagh uses her years of experience training police forces and military units on the psychology of life threatening incidents, to give credence to her work. The tension builds, and never lets up.
Let’s hope there’s another Kavanagh gem soon. Bravo.

The most cunning crime novels, like many of the greatest detectives, trick you into believing you’re smarter than them before pulling out the rug from under you. None more so than Hidden… Kavanagh is certainly deft, batting around the reader like a car with a caught mouse.

It’s clever, complicated and the characters are completely believable….Kavanagh is an original and interesting addition to the genre.

An original plot, well-paced to its unexpected climax

A highly assured debut novel with a cracking premise . . . a remarkable well written page turner

A superior piece of dark emotional fiction that will get under your skin.

Plunges us into our worst nightmare - somebody knows our darkest secret, and they're sharing it

A finely crafted puzzle box

A brilliant premise, superbly executed. I love this book

fantastic - was absolutely gripped. Great idea, could not put it down.

Disclaimer is a real one-nighter

It's knockout

The marvel of the new suspense novel “Disclaimer” is that it lives up to its unusually gripping premise.
Disclaimer forms a trinity alongside “Gone Girl” and the “The Girl on the Train” as the best of domestic noir. That this is a first novel from Renee Knight, a British television screenwriter, makes her sure hand with what’s sinister that much more stunning.

A sensational psychological thriller

excellent debut

This bestseller is definitely one of the best thrillers of 2015.

More original and sophisticated than your average psychological thriller, Renée Knight's DISCLAIMER is an accomplished and addictive tale.