‘Tense but patient, fast but thoughtful, and twisty but substantial – this is a truly excellent debut, and I want the next installment now’ Lee Child

‘I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive, and couldn’t wait to squeeze some time from my day to return to it. The writing is very classy and the conclusion came as a surprise, which is always a treat’ Ann Cleeves

‘Gloriously atmospheric and masterfully plotted with such a strong sense of place, this is a huge treat for crime fiction lovers. I can’t wait for the next instalment!’ Lucy Foley

‘Stylish…a more than promising debut’ The Times

‘Stylishly written by a skilled wordsmith, and an absorbing tale’ Sun

‘A vivid, atmospheric debut’ Daily Mail

‘A cosy crime read with an appealing protagonist’ Guardian

‘A pitch-perfect blend of psychological thriller and classic detective fiction, rich with smart plotting and characters so real we feel we know them’ Jeffery Deaver

‘Brilliant, gripping, fantastic … I can’t put it down’ Chris Evans

‘An atmospheric, often meditative, and beautifully written crime novel’ Vaseem Khan

‘An outstanding debut’ Jeffrey Archer

‘With his awkward but likeable hero, a compelling relationship between Jake and Livia, and the skillfully realized setting, Abell’s new career in crime fiction is off to a promising start’ Daily Mirror

‘A joyful dive into the detective genre…I was charmed and engrossed’ Observer

‘A tense and twisty crime thriller’ iPaper

‘A deep, searching novel, as preoccupied with human nature and ordinary evil as it is with detection’ A. J. Finn, author The Woman in the Window

‘A brilliant debut. Perfect to get lost with next to the fireside’ Dermot O’Leary

‘A truly clever, deeply unsettling and beautifully written mystery’ Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End

‘Mesmerizing prose…and a devilishly constructed plot’ PW starred review