French crime queen's new mystery – her best yet.

[Vargas] has won the CWA international dagger four times, confirming her place in the top rank of contemporary crime writers... [A Climate of Fear] is easily the best thing she has ever done... The idea of history repeating itself is at the heart of this stunning novel, which confirms Vargas’ fine understanding of the unchanging nature of human passions.

A reminder that Fred Vargas is one of the most entertainingly eccentric of all current European crime writers... [It] demonstrates why Vargas is so highly esteemed... Highly impressive.

Vargas writes with strength, erudition and unique imagination... In the crowded world of crime fiction, she's a valuable one-off. A Climate of Fear is one of her best.

A rich and remarkable work that may be her masterpiece.

Crime Gold

Vargas is assured in the way she marshals her narrative elements around a fascinating exploration of how a corrupted group dynamic can parlay historical horrors into contemporary crimes.

A pitch-perfect example of Southern Gothic.

A rare talent. Tight, beautifully dark prose, peppered with scintillating moments of light…A wonderfully crafted tale that will satisfy readers in ways they never thought possible. Brilliant stuff, indeed.

A chilling, twisting tale of family, memory, and home . . . This engaging and thrilling tale about a young woman’s homecoming, the vagaries of memory, and the impact of tragedy on both a town and a family is a terrific choice for Laura Lippman and Sue Grafton readers.

Arrowood is a haunting and heart-breaking novel that puts Laura McHugh on the literary map.

gripping.

A lyrically haunting story…It’s so atmospheric you can practically hear the floorboard creek.

An absorbing, spine-tingling novel brimming with atmosphere.

a superb, compelling read

I love stories where you're not quite sure who is telling the truth! This one kept me guessing

Compelling and page-turning, wonderfully written and impossible to second guess with a brilliant twist

Praise for The Sisters

Grippingly claustrophobic and unpredictable on every page: perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train

Tension oozes from every pag . . . [an] addictive read that will leave you on the edge of your seat

As soon as I finished the first page, I knew I wouldn't be able to put this down . . . I thoroughly enjoyed it

Unforgettably dark and complex