How many times would you let your child get away with murder? The new break-out thriller from Sam Lloyd, author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick The Memory Wood . When you look down at your newborn baby, you realise they were right, those smug parents you''ve always rolled your eyes at: you''d do literally anything for your child. To make them happy, keep them safe. So when William Carver wakes one night to find his teenage son Max scrubbing the kitchen, hands wet with blood and panic flooding his voice as he promises it was an accident, he didn''t mean to do it, William does the only thing he can. He helps Max bury the body. William thinks that''s the end of the nightmare. Until he finds Max with stricken eyes and bloody hands once again . . . You''d do anything for your child - even cover up a murder. But would you do it twice? Praise for Sam Lloyd ''Lloyd is a rare new thriller talent.'' - Daily Mail ''Remarkable. Stunning prose and compulsive reading. It''s undoubtedly the best thriller I''ve read in a long, long time.'' - Lesley Kara ''An intense, atmospheric, and truly original thriller.'' - Shari Lapena ''Fiendishly clever'' - Sunday Times

Autorentext

Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, where he learned his love of storytelling. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. His first three thrillers, The Memory Wood, The Rising Tide and The People Watcher were published to great critical acclaim.

Klappentext

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 CWA TWISTED DAGGER AWARD

The new break-out thriller from Sam Lloyd, author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick The Memory Wood. Your child said it was an accident. Then it happened again.

'The best hook of any thriller in the last few years.' - Helen Fields, bestselling author of The Institution

'Twisty, relatable and relentlessly gripping.' - T.M. Logan, author of The Dream Home

'Brilliantly written and genuinely terrifying.' - that's life (Crime Scene)

When you look down at your newborn baby, you realise they were right, those smug parents you've always rolled your eyes at: you'd do literally anything for your child. To make them happy, keep them safe.

So when Joseph Carver wakes one night to find his teenage son Max scrubbing the kitchen, hands wet with blood and panic flooding his voice as he promises it was an accident, he didn't mean to do it, Joseph does the only thing he can. He helps Max bury the body.

Joseph thinks that's the end of the nightmare. Until he finds Max with stricken eyes and bloody hands once again . . .

You'd do anything for your child - even cover up a murder. But would you do it twice? Readers love Sam Lloyd!

'Lloyd is a rare new thriller talent.' - Daily Mail

'0 to 100mph from the get-go!' - FIVE-STAR Reader Review

'Remarkable. Stunning prose and compulsive reading. It's undoubtedly the best thriller I've read in a long, long time.' - Lesley Kara

'Absolutely grabbed me from the first few pages, and that grip didn't loosen until the very last page!' - FIVE-STAR Reader Review

'An intense, atmospheric, and truly original thriller.' - Shari Lapena

'Keeps you on the edge of your seat, with twists you don't see coming.' - FIVE-STAR Reader Review

'Fiendishly clever' - Sunday Times

'Such a great read...the best so far.' - FIVE-STAR Reader Review

'Propulsive, sinister, gripping' **- Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient **

'Doesn't just hook you - it grabs you by the throat.' - FIVE-STAR Reader Review