Sharp Glass

Sarah Hilary, Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year winner and author of Black Thorn, returns with Sharp Glass. Trapped and alone in a remote house in the country, one woman must find a way to defeat a captor who has no intention of letting her go.

'A master of her craft. In every book she makes the words sing' – Ann Cleeves

The last thing she remembers is standing outside the empty house. One she was employed to pack, ready for removal. Her job is her life. It is her compulsion to take care of an owner’s precious possessions, to do whatever it takes to help them move on. Now she is cold, dirty, damp, trapped in its cellar with no chance of escape, miles from anywhere. His prisoner.

And then he returns.

Her captor believes she holds the answers to why a young girl was murdered a year ago. He refuses to let her go until she reveals her secrets. But he doesn’t know she has hidden depths, and an anger she works hard to control.

The battle lines are drawn. They are the only two people who can solve the mystery of the dead girl. But when the truth is revealed, whose life will shatter?

* * *

Praise for Sarah Hilary and Black Thorn:

'Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff . . . has the atmosphere and drama of a modern-day du Maurier novel' – Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key

'A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told' – Megan Abbott, author of You Will Know Me

''It's strange and compelling, and no one else could have written it' - Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses

Genre: Mystery

"I've loved Sarah's work from the beginning. She's a brave writer, shifting tone and subject matter, always surprising. Above all, she's a master of her craft. In every book she makes the words sing." - Ann Cleeves

"I love all of Sarah's books, but I think I might love Sharp Glass most of all. Sarah is a writer at the top of her game, skillfully pulling back the curtain, inch by inch, to reveal something surprising. A claustrophobic and beautifully written slow-burn thriller." - Fiona Cummins

"[Sarah Hilary does] claustrophobic obsession better than anyone . . . It's strange and compelling, and no one else could have written it." - Mick Herron

"Another masterpiece of psychological suspense from the inimitable Sarah Hilary. This shifting, shimmering thriller takes the premise of John Fowles' The Collector, shakes it by the shoulders and turns it on its head." - Erin Kelly

"Sarah Hilary once again proves herself the master of clever, shattering, psychologically astute fiction. This is a haunting and moving drama that kept me reading well into the night." - Anna Mazzola