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Sam Blake

Sam Blake is a pseudonym for Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin, who is originally from St. Albans in Hertfordshire but has lived at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland for (almost) more years than she lived in the UK. She has been writing fiction since 1999 when her husband went sailing across the Atlantic for 8 weeks and she had an idea for a book.

Vanessa is also the founder of The Inkwell Group publishing consultancy and the Irish national writing resources website Writing.ie. She is Ireland's leading literary scout who has assisted many award winning and bestselling authors to publication.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult Fiction

Series

Cat Connolly
   1. Little Bones (2016)
   2. In Deep Water (2017)
   3. No Turning Back (2018)

Raven's Hill School
Something Terrible Happened Last Night (2023)
Something's About to Blow Up (2024)

Novels

   Keep Your Eyes on Me (2020)
   The Dark Room (2021)
   High Pressure (2021)
   Remember My Name (2022)
   The Mystery of Four (2023)
   Three Little Birds (2024)
   The Killing Sense (2025)
   Your Every Move (2026)

Sam Blake recommends

Never to Be Found (2026)
Jo Spain
"The best thriller you will read this year. Utterly original, breathtakingly gripping, forensically plotted and with characters that jump off the page, this is a masterpiece that crowns Jo Spain as one of the best writers of a generation. You will be completely sucked into the world of the evaporated, and confounded by twist after terrifying twist. Unputadownable genius, pure and simple."

Such a Nice Girl (2026)
Andrea Mara
"Such a Nice Girl is an edge of your seat, breath holding read. Packed with dark, emotionally charged secrets and heart shattering what ifs, you will not see the end coming. Andrea Mara's best book yet."

The Secrets of Harbour House (2025)
Liz Fenwick
"A haunting story of love lost and love found set against an intriguing mystery that will keep you turning the pages. Entrancing!"

There Came A-Tapping (2025)
Andrea Carter
"Authentic, original, hauntingly atmospheric, and in parts just plain terrifying,There Came A-Tapping will keep you up all night! A brilliantly woven thriller, I couldn't put it down."

Burn After Reading (2025)
Catherine Ryan Howard
"Claustrophobic and menacing, Burn After Reading is a taut thriller that makes for breathless reading as Ryan Howard masterfully takes us from the picture postcard Sanctuary into an ever-tightening knot of scorching hot lies. From the first page to the last satisfying twist, don't pick this book up if you have an early start the next morning!"

Blood Like Mine (2024)
(Blood , book 1)
Stuart Neville
"A masterclass in storytelling, Blood Like Mine is a dark, chilling tale that will grip you from the very first page. Steeped in the emotion of love and loss, Neville's characters are captivating and leap off the page to grab you by the throat - this is a story that you won't forget."

Someone You Trust (2023)
Rachel Ryan
"Dark, intense and emotional, this haunting whodunit is utterly chilling, with a real sting in its twisty tail."

Grave Expectations (2023)
(Grave Expectations, book 1)
Alice Bell
"An addictive, hilarious, rollicking debut - fresh, original and utterly brilliant, Alice Bell is a real talent to watch. I cannot WAIT for the next book!"

Gone (2023)
Ruby Speechley
"A talent to watch."

The Shadow Child (2022)
Rachel Hancox
"Weaves a beautiful, tense and compelling tale of relationships, of secrets, loss and grief, but ultimately of the power of love. I couldn't put it down!"

Life Sentences (2021)
Billy O'Callaghan
"One of the most beautiful books of the year."

The Poison Garden (2019)
Alex Marwood
"Absolutely chilling. Alex Marwood's characters are hauntingly real - evil is always just below the surface. Another brilliant, shockingly dark book from a master storyteller."

When Your Eyes Close (2018)
Tanya Farrelly
"A superbly twisty tale."

The Ruin (2018)
(Cormac Reilly, book 1)
Dervla McTiernan
"Loved every page . . . Cormac Reilly is a brilliant new character, so real you can hear his footsteps on the stairs. Utterly gripping, brilliantly executed story."

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