<p><b>Sarah Hilary, Theakston&rsquo;s Crime Novel of the Year winner and author of <i>Fragile</i>, returns with <i>Black Thorn</i>, another compulsive psychological thriller that questions how much you know about the people who live next to you . . .</b><br><br><b>'An astonishingly gifted writer' Marian Keyes</b><br><br>Blackthorn Ashes was meant to be their forever home. For the first six families moving into the exclusive new housing development, it was a chance to live a peaceful life on the cliffs overlooking the Cornish sea, safe in the knowledge that it had been created just for them.<br><br>But six weeks later, paradise is lost. Six people are dead. And Blackthorn Ashes is left abandoned and unfinished, its dark shadows hiding all manner of secrets.<br><br>One of its surviving residents, Agnes Gale, is determined to find out the truth about what happened. Even if that truth is deadlier than she could have ever believed possible . . .<br><br><b>Praise for <i>Black Thorn</i>:</b><br><br>'In <i>Black Thorn</i> a small piece of the world collapses - metaphorically, literally and emotionally. This novel is <b>immersive</b>, <b>claustrophobic</b>, <b>unbearably tense </b>and <b>quite brilliant' Ann Cleeves</b><br><br><b>&lsquo;Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff</b>. <i>Black Thorn </i>has <b>the atmosphere and drama of a modern-day du Maurier novel</b>. Sarah Hilary&rsquo;s uncanny ability to make readers not just see through her characters&rsquo; eyes but feel through their skin is unparalleled&rsquo; <b>Erin Kelly</b><br><br>&lsquo;A <b>mesmerizing</b> story of family and community, secrets and lies. <b>Psychologically rich and captivatingly told</b>&rsquo; <b>Megan Abbott</b><br><br>&lsquo;<b><i>E</i>xudes a tightly-controlled menace </b>that ratchets up to full-blown claustrophobia as the pages turn. A book that oozes under your skin from the opening sentence&rsquo; <b>Vaseem Khan</b><br><br><b>&lsquo;Brilliant</b>. Taking a really deep dive into some dark spaces that Sarah brings vividly to life, <b>it's wonderful and unlike anything else I've read lately</b>&rsquo; <b>Mick Herron</b><br><br><b>&lsquo;Multi-layered, unexpected, and carrying a strong emotional punch</b>, <i>Black Thorn</i> is refreshingly different. Sarah Hilary is an exceptionally gifted writer&rsquo; <b>Sharon Bolton</b><br><br>&lsquo;<b>An absolute master of her craft</b>. Beautiful writing. This book is fascinating on so many levels. Not your run-of-the-mill thriller<b>. A haunting captivating book</b>&rsquo; <b>Imran Mahmood<br><br>'An *extraordinary* book</b>. <b>Beautifully written, densely plotted</b>, with an uncanny insight into the best and worst of family relationships' <b>Emma Flint</b><br><br>'A <b>stunning</b>, haunting and often moving novel. I loved it' <b>Anna Mazzola</b><br><br>'Sarah Hilary has done it again with this<b> tale of toxicity</b> in all its forms. <b>Excellent</b> <b>writing</b> <b>and tight plotting</b> on top of shifting sands make <i>Black Thorn</i> an <b>unforgettable read </b>with the most sympathetic protagonist I've read in years' <b>Liz Nugent<br><br>'Sarah Hilary is a writer with all the gifts</b>: character and psychology, language and<b> one-more-chapter suspense.</b> In twisting, turning, ever-changing <i>Black Thorn</i>, she shows us how very easily the wrong people can turn paradise into hell on earth<b>' Lucie Whitehouse</b></p>