Genuinely surprising

Stunning

I shot through this in one sitting. Like Gone Girl, it's told alternately by a husband and his wife. At the very beginning, something very shocking happens . . . It's the most gripping thing I've read for ages

A twist-filled page-turner

A truly remarkable novel. The Boy That Never Was is a pitch-perfect balance of driving plot and honest, complex human emotion. Written in a captivating, lyrical style and brilliantly structured, the story grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go

Beautifully written, tense and twisty tale

Gripping from its dramatic opening chapter, this tense, unpredictable novel blends a thriller with an intimate family story to produce a most compelling read

The Boy That Never Was is that powerful thing, a beautifully written mystery driven by its exploration of the characters' innermost hearts - of the inexorable ripples that loss sends out, and the terrible damage people can do to those they love most. Both as a crime novel and as an emotional journey, it's gripping stuff

This assured debut is equal parts thriller, mystery and fascinating psychological study

Taut, smartly written, empathetic and at times unbearably tense . . . The Boy That Never Was hits the bullseye

A debut novel that will catch fire

A tense domestic thriller that is full of surprises

One of those unique books that grips you from the start . . . climaxing in an unexpected and explosive twist that we simply didn't see coming. This isn't a relaxed read, but it is dramatic and thrilling

A novel that knows how to thrill, even as it treats its thriller aspect as something strange and inscrutable. So that’s another intriguing book from an author whose work should not remain a secret.

[A] very human novel in which nearly everything is expertly understated ... The characters and storyline are completely absorbing and all of the drama is handled brilliantly making the novel seem almost like a true life account ... Jawbone Lake is a very deep and poignant tale that had me hooked from the start ... It is an emotional read with exceptionally well crafted characters and a lot of heart; I thoroughly enjoyed it.’

The opening chapter of Kate Atkinson's latest book is one of the finest pieces of suspense literature you will read this year . . . addictive . . . Atkinson is back at her best

There couldn’t be a more perfect summer read than this elegant, atmospheric, suspenseful novel

Curtain Call is a poignant and gripping story about love and death in a society dancing towards the abyss

Harrowing suspense. The Bear is a survival thriller that is told from a child's-eye point-of-view, which is not only convincing but doubles the tension. A heartbreaking, white-knuckle read

Thrilling and harrowing…. I couldn’t put this book down. And I must say that the ending was so right, I caught myself holding my breath. A remarkable novel

Just when you thought it was safe to go into the forest... This expertly crafted novel could do for camping what Jaws did for swimming

A gripping tale of how to deal with grief and being lost in a hostile environment

Subtle, endearing and raw

Based on real-life events, this book is unforgettable

A tender, terrifying, poignant ride