A joy to read, the novel reflects John le Carré's genre-stretching influence on every page: the boys' school setting, the mixture of social comedy and Hitchcockian shenanigans, the astute, sophisticated prose, the central philosophical dilemma, and the exploration of what it means to be English in a globalised world.

Wonderfully well written...old school in the best possible way, with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages

A remarkable contemporary thriller – with shades of Graham Greene and Le Carré about it – but also a profound and compelling investigation of a hugely complex human predicament. Brilliantly observed, captivatingly written, grippingly narrated – a triumph

The best evocation of Oxford since Brideshead

A grimly absorbing literary thriller with shades of John le Carre... opens a window onto the murky world of international nuclear policy and espionage amorality

Quite simply excellent. If you're looking for something exciting and sinewy to read, this is it. There's no mistaking quality when it appears in book form

A beautifully considered, subtle exploration of Englishness, of betrayal, of social change and character - elegantly and engagingly wrapped in a classic spy novel

Echoes of Greene, Conrad and Le Carre. Yet these influences have been absorbed as good writers always absorb the influence of their predecessors and go beyond it to make something that is wholly their own...One good test of novel is: does it re-read? Well, I've now read The Sandpit twice, and I'm pretty sure I shall read it again in a few months' time

Shakespeare sets up the myriad pressures on his protagonist with consummate skill, keeping the reader guessing about the motives of everybody Dyer encounters. There are more than a few hints of Graham Greene and John Le Carre here... In its exploration of how individual actions can have huge and unexpected ramifications, The Sandpit is an enthralling read....the theme of how ordinary individuals negotiate the pressures brought down on them by extraordinary events generates superb drama.'

Exceptionally well written

Gripping stuff, deftly told. Yet within this nail-biting novel of suspense is another, more contemplative novel... that invites comparison to Graham Greene. Here is a fine writer, spinning suspense with the ease, patience and control of a fly-fisherman

One of our best and truest novelists

Nicholas Shakespeare honours the best tradition of the novel

One of the best English novelists of our time

A great novelist

A world writer

Enviably good

Nicholas Shakespeare gathers comparisons to the great and the good. He needs none. He is what he is — a very fine English novelist

Exciting...Shakespeare is an ebullient writer... a paranoia-filled page-turner

We Were Never Here is an observant, suspenseful, and deeply scary novel, a psychological thriller that looks at the tight bonds of friendship and asks where they strangle, where they break

We Were Never Here is somehow both cinematic in scope and also claustrophobic and unnerving. It's a novel that explores the dangers that lurk in beautiful places, the manipulation of memories, and the friendship ties that don't just bind us, but can strangle us

I absolutely loved We Were Never Here ... chock-full of twists and turns that surprise and titillate. I was so enthralled, I carried the book around the house, reading as I walked to the kitchen to make some tea and even while folding the laundry. It's been years since I last read-walked!

[Bartz] has an incredible talent for writing complicated characters, complex relationships, unnerving situations, and palpable tension-and making them all work together

This tense psychological thriller simmers with suspense throughout - you'll be totally hooked!

An intriguing domestic noir...Curtis will keep you guessing with this one.

Invite Me In is a riveting, character-driven thriller that hooked me from the first page and kept me captivated.

Curtis keeps us hooked with twists and a cast of characters who are convincing, if hardly likeable.

Kept me glued to every page

Gripping, cleverly-constructed, and heart-wrenching. Truly original

Intelligent. Compulsive. Heart-wrenching. Unforgettable

Brilliantly written

A thrilling mystery with a strong emotional heart

Ingeniously constructed, with real flesh-and-blood characters and cliff-hanging suspense