The first body comes as a shock. The second brings horror. The third signals the beginning of a nightmare... When fifteen-year-old Isla Bell finds three bodies propped against Hadrian’s Wall, her whole world falls apart. In such a close-knit community, everyone knows the victims, and the man who did it.

Twenty years on and Isla has dedicated her life to forensic psychology; studying the brains of serial killers, and even coming face to face with the convicted murderer who turned her world upside down. She is safe after all, with him behind bars.

Then another body appears against the Wall. And another.

As the nightmare returns and the body count rises, everyone in town is a suspect.

Who is the Killer on the Wall?

The Killer on the Wall is several cuts above your usual psychological thriller. It’s beautifully written, emotionally involving and psychologically complex. You know you’re in the hands of a writer who really understands her subject matter. The story is skilfully told and so subtly nuanced, I gave up trying to guess where it was going and let myself be swept along with it, totally engrossed. And when the final twist came I said ‘oh my god’, and then almost immediately ‘of course’. Classy atmospheric and satisfying. Read it.

Tense, well crafted and difficult to put down. A cracking read!

A nerve-shredding new thriller

Tense, disturbing, gritty and unashamedly macabre, this is a must for crime fans

I was gripped

This is a guided missile of a book: it explodes into life, and then keeps burning, inexorably homing in on a target which you will only foresee by cheating and flipping through to the last few pages. When it comes, the detonation is as devastating as it is unforeseen. Only the very best writers have the daring and dexterity to deliver such a plot twist and make it as credible as it is shocking, and Emma Kavanagh must be a founder member of that exclusive club

Intense, claustrophobic and utterly realistic ... A gripping read

Emma Kavanagh is one of those authors whose books I long to read. She writes unusual, distinct and clever crime mysteries

It was a great story, simple and effective, with great characters, great pace and a killer ending (pun intended). Highly recommended!

She has created yet another completely immersive and addictive crime thriller that is driven by its people and its location

This beautifully written novel is bleakly atmospheric and compelling throughout, tied to its stunning yet bleak location, and driven on by its rich line-up of characters. It’s irresistible

Fascinating

A psychological thriller that kept me reading from the first page right up to the end. A story that managed to surprise me in the last couple of chapters. A story that left me wanting another instalment

Engrossing

This is Emma Kavanagh at her best. The writing is richly atmospheric, the tension is palpable and the characterisation excellent

Kavanagh creates, alongside the taut prose and excellent plotting, create a book that is highly enjoyable and not a little scary

Wonderful writing, clever and taut storytelling and a definite tendency to make you want to sleep with the lights on

Thrilling

Emma Kavanagh is a highly gifted writer…The Killer on the Wallis taut, disturbing, and wonderfully dark. The finale is epic. This book is a masterclass of crime fiction.

‘Compelling’ 8* review