Anna is a writer who, due to some fault of her parents, is drawn to peculiar and dark historical subjects. Her novels, which have been described as literary crime fiction or historical crime, explore the psychological and social impact of crime and injustice. Anna’s influences include Sarah Waters, Daphne Du Maurier, Shirley Jackson and Margaret Atwood.
The Last Handmaid (2026) Clare Whitfield "An evocative and unsettling tale of persecution, abandonment and complicity inspired by a terrifying true tale. Chilling and thought-provoking."
A Fatal Love (2026) Louisa Treger "A powerful and compassionate novel that gives voice to one of the century's most misunderstood women and examines the abusive relationship that led her, ultimately, to kill."
The Saffron Thief (2026) (Saffron , book 1) T L Mogford "From the ashes of the Great Fire and the threads of the saffron trade, Mogford has built a fantastic historical heist novel that reminded me in the best possible way of Andrew Taylor. Brilliant."
The Night Stairs (2026) Erin Kelly "Erin Kelly is in her element. Compulsively creepy and genuinely thrilling. Old legends twist together with teenaged trauma in this superbly atmospheric and cleverly-structured convent school thriller. Warning: this will keep you up all night."
The Pinnacle (2026) Abir Mukherjee "Abir Mukherjee scales new heights. Only Murders in the Building meets White Tiger. Funny and charming, but with bite. Abir's books are always so pacy, absorbing and entertaining that we don't notice that he's subtly teaching us something. I'm very glad he is."
The Good Listener (2026) Holly Watt "A cut above. A poignant, intelligent and genuinely gripping thriller woven from a mother's worst nightmare and her search for the truth. Holly Watt is a brilliant writer."
The Stranger on the Stairs (2026) Ruth Mancini "Brilliant. My favourite Ruth Mancini yet. A taut, haunting and thought-provoking story of fractured memories, complex relationships and coverups. Kept me guessing (and biting my nails) throughout."
Elizabeth and Marilyn (2026) Julie Owen Moylan "Gorgeous, glamorous and moving. Julie Owen Moylan reimagines Marilyn and Elizabeth with her trademark ability to get under the skin of complex female characters. Brilliant."
The Drowning Place (2026) (DS Joseph Ashe, book 1) Sarah Hilary "I've found my favourite new series. The Drowning Place is the first in Sarah Hilary's gothic-tinged, Peak District-set police series, introducing us to an engaging and emotionally-complex cast of characters, with her trademark astute and compelling writing. A moving, gripping and unique exploration of survivor's guilt, and the web of relationships and secrets in a small-town community. Happy Valley, but haunted. I genuinely can't wait for the next book in the series."
Unreliable Narrator (2026) Araminta Hall "Brilliantly clever, with a big splash of glamour. An intoxicating and absorbing exploration of truth, memory and perspective. Araminta Hall is a warped wonder."
Spider, Spider (2026) L C Winter "Black as night and as cleverly woven as a spider's web. A compelling and inventive tale of vengeance and mystery in Victorian London."
Based on a True Story (2026) Sarah Vaughan "What a delight to be back with Sarah Vaughan's writing, and in particular to back in Cornwall. A sparkling, clever and compelling tale of power, money, lies and the stories we tell ourselves to survive."
The Art of a Lie (2025) Laura Shepherd-Robinson "I absolutely loved this book. A deliciously clever and complex confection of love, artifice, mystery and ice cream, with exquisitely drawn characters. Laura Shepherd-Robinson's best book yet."
A Schooling in Murder (2025) Andrew Taylor "The master of historical crime fiction is back and he's on top form. Taylor has reinvented the classic crime story to create a riveting WWII mystery set within a secretive school amid deadly rivalries. Brilliantly eery and suspenseful. A triumph."
Isabella's Not Dead (2025) Beth Morrey "Isabella's not dead. Or is she? Absolutely loved this book. A witty, wise and compelling exploration of female friendship. I laughed, I cried, I nearly weed myself."
The Cliffhanger (2025) Emily Freud "Brilliantly, twisty, twisted story-telling. A clever tale of betrayal and double-crossing set in a remote villa in France."
The Woman in the Wallpaper (2025) Lora Jones "Exquisite writing and a riveting plot. As beautifully crafted, and mysterious, as the wallpaper that seems to mirror the characters' lives. A truly brilliant book."
Dirty Money (2025) (Farrow & Chang, book 1) Charlotte Philby "Sharp, fresh, relevant and pacy. A gripping race through the glamour and grit of London with the smart female detective duo we've all been waiting for. A smashing start to a brilliant new series. More, please, and soon."
The Blackbirds of St Giles (2025) Lila Cain "Enthralling, enraging, compelling and exciting. It both entertains and informs, about prejudice and perseverance and hope."
The Mischief Makers (2024) Elisabeth Gifford "A darkly magical, riveting and exquisitely written novel exploring the trouble inner world of Daphne Du Maurier, one of our most enigmatic writers. Stunning."
The Betrayal of Thomas True (2024) A J West "Both a roaring Georgian romp and a moving story of injustice and discrimination... hugely entertaining."
Redemption (2024) Jack Jordan "Another belter from thriller master Jack Jordan. Dark, suspenseful, emotional, powerful and, ultimately, hopeful. Loved this book."
The Midnight Hour (2024) Eve Chase "An engrossing, atmospheric and beautifully written story of a woman trying to turn back the hands of time. I always love an Eve Chase, but this is my favourite so far."
The Burial Plot (2024) Elizabeth Macneal "As dark, twisting and magnificent as Victorian cemetery itself, The Burial Plot is a brilliantly clever and richly imagined novel. I loved it."
Spitting Gold (2024) Carmella Lowkis "A clever, atmospheric and sparkling Gothic debut with compelling characters and brilliant prose. Reminded me of Sarah Waters."
Saltblood (2024) Francesca De Tores "An absolute treasure trove of book. Francesca has taken the real story of 18th century female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny and woven something startling, fresh and brilliant. Deserves to be huge."
Disobedient (2023) Elizabeth Fremantle "Outstanding. A powerful novel about women who are shamed and silenced, and how they learn to survive. A literary knockout."
Fyneshade (2023) Kate Griffin "What a devious and delightful tale. In Marta, Kate Griffin gives us one the most inventive and compelling characters of recent years. A gloriously gothic and often darkly funny story. I devoured it whole."
The Assistant (2023) Amanda Reynolds "Marvellously dark, clever, twisty and relevant. Highsmith for the modern age. I was completely gripped."
Other Women (2023) Emma Flint "A glittering black diamond of a book. Beautiful and devastating literary true crime. Emma Flint takes a real murder from the 1920s and gives voice to the women involved. Bubbling anger beneath exquisite prose."
Complicit (2022) Winnie M Li "A fearless and brilliant novel about power, ambition and abuse in the film industry and what it means to be a survivor."
Cyberspies (2022) (Swift and Hawk, book 1) Logan Macx "A brilliantly written spy mystery, with a fast-moving plot, characters that leap from the page, and a cornucopia of coding and tech to keep young readers riveted."
The Key in the Lock (2022) Beth Underdown "A dark and poignant Cornish tale of grief, love and the unpicking of long-buried secrets. Set in 1888 and 1918 with shades of Du Maurier and Sarah Waters."
The Hidden (2019) Mary Chamberlain "Shines a piercing light on the shrouded history of human trafficking and labour camps in the Channel Isles during WW2. A fascinating and powerful story of love, endurance, betrayal and guilt."
The Flower Girls (2019) Alice Clark-Platts "This was as dark and gripping as I hoped it would be. But it's also something else: about justice, rehabilitation and hope."
The Binding (2018) Bridget Collins "What an astounding book … something entirely of its own. Brilliant concept, truly extraordinary writing and a killer plot."
The Poison Bed (2018) E C Fremantle "A twisting tale of power, poison and intrigue. Historical fiction with the pull of a psychological thriller."
Mr Peacock's Possessions (2018) Lydia Syson "What a powerful, rich and fascinating book. Dark historical events are interwoven with the mystery of a missing child on a remote Pacific island in 1879. Highly compelling."
The Silent Companions (2017) (Silent Companions, book 1) Laura Purcell "Not since The Little Stranger has a book so entranced and haunted me. Compelling, bewitching and beautifully written. Read it if you dare."
Mussolini's Island (2017) Sarah Day "A beautiful and sadly relevant story of desire, oppression and defiance. I loved this book."
