New Releases by Sophie Hannah

Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie''s mysteries, as well as Clare Mackintosh and Paula Hawkins, the ninth psychological thriller from Sophie Hannah is a literary mystery and a puzzle that''s impossible to solve . . . ''Fiendishly clever'' Sunday Express ''Exceptional'' Elle Knowing the secret will kill you. All she wanted to do was take her son''s forgotten sports kit to school. So why does Nicki Clements drive past the home of controversial newspaper columnist Damon Blundy eight times in one day? Blundy has been murdered, and the words ''HE IS NO LESS DEAD'' daubed on his wall - in red paint, not blood. And, though Blundy was killed with a knife, he was not stabbed. Why? Nicki, called in for questioning, doesn''t have any of the answers police are looking for. Nor can she tell them the truth, because although she is not guilty of murder, she is far from innocent. And the words on the wall are disturbingly familiar to her, if only she could remember where she has heard them before . . .

The Poetry of Sex - a raucous, highly enjoyable anthology by acclaimed poet Sophie Hannah ''We''ve been at it all summer, from the Canadian border to the edge of Mexico . . .'' It''s hard to imagine a more fruitful subject for poets than sex, in all its glorious manifestations: from desire and hope, through disappointment and confusion, to conclusion and consequence. And little has changed over the centuries, as Sophie Hannah''s anthology vividly demonstrates, from Catullus pleading with Lesbos to Walt Whitman singing the body electric. Moods and attitudes may vary but the drive persists as does the desire to write about it. Sophie Hannah''s selection ranges from ancient Rome to modern New York, from gay to straight, but her principle has been to go low on the sugar and high on the excitement. It is essential reading for poetry lovers and romantics everywhere. Sophie Hannah has published five collections of poetry. Her fifth Pessimism for Beginners was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Award in 2007. Her Selected Poems is published by Penguin (revised edition, 2013). She is also the writer of bestselling psychological crime fiction, most recently The Carrier. Her novels have been translated into 24 languages. Born in Manchester, she now lives in Cambridge with her husband and children, and is a Fellow Commoner of Lucy Cavendish College.

In The Orphan Choir, Sophie Hannah brings us along on a darkly suspenseful investigation of obsession, loss, and the malevolent forces that threaten to break apart a loving family. A mother with an empty nest is being haunted by a ghostly children''s choir. Are they giving her an important message that only she can hear, or are their motives more sinister? Louise Beeston is being haunted. Louise has no reason left to stay in the city. She can''t see her son, Joseph, who is away at boarding school, where he performs in a prestigious boys'' choir. Her troublesome neighbor has begun blasting choral music at all hours of the night—and to make matters worse, she''s the only one who can hear it. Hoping to find some peace, Louise convinces her husband, Stuart, to buy them a country house in an idyllic, sun-dappled gated community called Swallowfield. But it seems that the haunting melodies of the choir have followed her there. Could it be that her city neighbor has trailed her to Swallowfield, just to play an elaborate, malicious prank? Is there really a ghostly chorus playing outside her door? And why won''t they stop? Growing desperate, she begins to worry about her mental health. Against the pleas and growing disquiet of her husband, Louise starts to suspect that this sinister choir is not only real but a warning. But of what? And how can it be, when no one else can hear it?

Too often the short story is regarded as merely a poor cousin of the novel, a weekend break for novelists - an assumption that demeans the short and neglects the fact that it has an anatomy all of its own. This anthology is a one-off experiment to show how much the short has in common with a very different literary form, the poem. Established and award winning poets from around Britian and the UK have been asked to ''interlope'' into the unknown territory of the short - most of them for the first time and each bringing with them a new, poetic perspective as well as an intuitive feel for the snapshot''s hidden narratives.

A free preview of Kind of Cruel by Sophie Hannah including a special essay by the author “Kind, cruel, kind of cruel.” Amber thinks it’s just nonsense, a side effect of being hypnotized for the first time. But when she’s arrested for a brutal murder two hours later, those four words are the key to clearing her name... if only she could remember where she’d seen them. Amber Hewerdine suffers from chronic insomnia. As a last resort, she visits a hypnotherapist, doubtful that anything will really change. Under hypnosis, Amber hears herself saying, “Kind, cruel, kind of cruel.” The words awaken a vague memory, but she dismisses the whole episode as nonsense. Two hours later, however, Amber is arrested for the brutal murder of a woman she’s never heard of, and the only way she can clear her name is by remembering exactly where she’s seen those words. Kind of Cruel is the latest page-turner in Hannah''s Zailer and Waterhouse mystery series, and will enthrall Hannah’s ever-growing readership.

*** WINNER OF THE SPECSAVERS NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR CRIME THRILLER OF THE YEAR 2013 *** He swore he was a killer. The truth was worse. An overnight plane delay is bad. Having to share your hotel room with a stranger is worse. But that is only the beginning of Gaby Struthers'' problems. Gaby has never met Lauren Cookson before. So how does Lauren know so much about her? How does she know that the love of Gaby''s life has been accused of murder? Why is she telling her that he is innocent? And why is she so terrified of Gaby? If you loved Gone Girl, you''ll find this chilling domestic thriller impossible to put down.

Six short tales of chilling suspense from bestselling author Sophie Hannah, plus an exclusive extract from her new psychological thriller, THE CARRIER, coming out in February 2013.

The latest psychological thriller from the internationally bestselling author of The Wrong Mother and The Cradle in the Grave It''s past midnight, but Connie Bowskill can''t sleep. To pass the time, she logs on to a real estate website in search of a particular house, one she is obsessed with for reasons she''s too scared to even admit to herself. As she clicks through the virtual tour, she comes across a scene from a nightmare: a woman lying facedown on the living room floor in a pool of blood. But when she returns to show her husband, there is no body, no blood—just a perfectly ordinary room, with a perfectly clean beige carpet. The sixth book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Other Woman’s House offers unforgettable suspense and a heart-stopping conclusion that Ruth Rendell and Tana French fans will love.

L''incubo inizia sempre nello stesso modo. È stata una lunga nottata, il pianto del neonato intermittente, la stanchezza che ti attanaglia gli occhi. Non puoi dormire, semplicemente non puoi. Ma finalmente, alle prime luci dell''alba, il bambino si è addormentato. E tu sei crollata dalla stanchezza. Solo pochi minuti, appena riaperti gli occhi sei subito corsa verso la culla per vedere le sue manine paffute protendersi verso di te. Ma il piccolo è immobile. Lo tocchi, e non respira più? Per molte donne questo è solo un brutto sogno da cui risvegliarsi in un bagno di sudore. Ma per Helen Yardley, Ray Hines e Sarah Jaggard l''incubo è continuato anche una volta sveglie. Il loro bambino è morto, senza una ragione apparente. Tutte loro sono state accusate di infanticidio e ci sono voluti lunghi processi e molti anni di prigione, prima che fossero scagionate. «Morte in culla» è il verdetto finale. Fliss Benson è una giovane produttrice televisiva, a cui viene affidato l''incarico di girare un documentario sulla loro vicenda. Vittime di un errore giudiziario o pericolose assassine che sono riuscite a farla franca? A Fliss non interessa. Questo è l''ultimo progetto a cui vorrebbe lavorare, perché la morte dei piccoli innocenti riapre in lei una ferita mai sanata che riguarda il suo passato. Un trauma segreto che non ha mai rivelato a nessuno. La mattina in cui sta per rinunciare all''incarico riceve un biglietto con sedici cifre. Un biglietto oscuro e ricattatorio. A indagare sulla minaccia è la poliziotta Charlie Zailer, la quale scopre che gli stessi numeri sono stati inviati anche alle tre donne accusate di infanticidio. E quando vengono trovate assassinate una dopo l''altra, Fliss capisce che per salvarsi la vita deve trovare la verità, e molto, molto in fretta? Sophie Hannah è la regina indiscussa del romanzo psicologico anglosassone. Nessuno è come lei nell''incredibile capacità di distillare l''essenza delle paure che ognuno di noi nasconde nel profondo dell''animo. La culla buia ha subito scalato le classifiche del Regno Unito e il successo è in continua crescita, tanto che tutta la critica si trova concorde nell''affermare: «Tensione, il tuo nome è Sophie Hannah».

Drie korte verhalen van de Britse Queen of Crime De drie verhalen Het octopusnest, De vraagprijs en Uitgerekend hier zijn kort en leuk geschreven.

In het wiegje van haar twee weken oude dochter ligt een wildvreemd kind. Haar man beweert dat ze gek geworden is. Een week later zijn Alice en de baby verdwenen. Weggelopen, gekidnapt, vermoord? Sophie Hannah is de koningin van de psychologische spanning. Nicci French, Simone van der Vlugt, SJ. Watson behoren tot haar fans. ''Kleine meid'' is een huiveringwekkend en beklemmend boek. Alice'' echtgenoot David zou op hun twee weken oude dochtertje passen, maar wanneer Alice teugkomt van de sportschool en de babykamer inloopt, begint een ware nachtmerrie: in het wiegje ligt een kind dat ze nog nooit eerder gezien heeft. David beweert bij hoog en laag, en op steeds agressievere toon, dat Alice ofwel gek geworden is, ofwel liegt. Hoe kan Alice de politie overtuigen van het tegendeel voor het te laat is? Een week later zijn Alice en de baby verdwenen. Weggelopen, gekidnapt, vermoord? ''Kleine meid'' is een angstaanjagende psychologische thriller over hoever een moeder gaat om haar kind te redden.

“A perfectly executed psychological thriller” (The Guardian) from the internationally bestselling author of The Wrong Mother and The Other Woman’s House Television producer Fliss Benson is surprised to discover that her superstar boss, Laurie Nattrass, is stepping down from his post. She’s even more surprised that he asks her to take over his documentary about crib-death mothers wrongly accused of murder. Thanks to Laurie’s advocacy, three women are now free, while the doctor who testified against them is under investigation for misconduct. Then one of the mothers is found dead. In her pocket is a card with sixteen numbers on it, arranged in four rows of four- exactly like the anonymous card Fliss has just received in the mail. The fifth book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Cradle in the Grave combines the puzzle of a Golden Age mystery with a masterful tale of psychological suspense that Tana French and Laura Lippman fans will love.

Sally is watching the news with her husband when she hears a name she ought not to recognise: Mark Bretherick. Last year, a business trip Sally had planned was cancelled at the last minute. Desperate for a break from her busy life juggling her career and a young family, Sally didn''t tell her husband that the trip had fallen through. Instead, she booked a week off and treated herself to a secret holiday. All she wanted was a bit of peace - some time to herself - but it didn''t work out that way. Because Sally met a man - Mark Bretherick. All the details are the same: where he lives, his job, his wife Geraldine and daughter Lucy. Except that the man on the news is a man Sally has never seen before. And Geraldine and Lucy Bretherick are both dead . . .

The unnervingly good sixth psychological thriller from bestselling crime writer Sophie Hannah, not to be missed for readers of Nicci French and Liane Moriarty. ''Jaw-droppingly assured'' Daily Express ''A first-class whodunnit'' Scotsman Don''t go into the other woman''s house... It''s 1.15 a.m. Connie Bowskill should be asleep. Instead, she''s logging on to a property website in search of a particular house: 11 Bentley Grove, Cambridge. She knows it''s for sale; she saw the estate agent''s board in the front garden less than six hours ago. Soon Connie is clicking on the ''Virtual Tour'' button, keen to see the inside of 11 Bentley Grove and put her mind at rest once and for all. She finds herself looking at a scene from a nightmare: in the living room, in the middle of the carpet, there''s a woman lying face down in a huge pool of blood. In shock, Connie wakes her husband Kit. But when Kit sits down at the computer to take a look, he sees no dead body, only a pristine beige carpet in a perfectly ordinary room . . .

Alice Fancourt , una feliz madre primeriza, decide salir a dar un paseo después de dar a luz a su hija. David, su marido, queda a cargo de la pequeña Florence. Debía cuidarla, pero cuando Alice entra en la habitación, la pesadilla empieza: el bebé que duerme en la cuna no es su hija...

«Ipnotico e inquietante. Dopo averlo finito, è impossibile smettere di pensarci.» The Guardian Alice Fancourt è stata lontana solo due ore, eppure non vede l’ora di riabbracciare la sua bambina, Florence, di due settimane. Ma qualcosa non va: la porta di casa è aperta, le stanze avvolte dal silenzio. Alice corre in camera della piccola e con orrore si rende conto che la bambina che dorme nella culla non è sua figlia. Ma dov’è Florence? E come è possibile che David, il marito di Alice, non si sia accorto di nulla? È l’inizio di un incubo. Perché nessuno le crede. Né David né la suocera Vivienne. E mentre David diventa sempre più aggressivo e minaccioso, ad Alice non resta altra scelta che rivolgersi alla polizia. A occuparsi del caso sono la sergente Charlie Zailer e il detective Simon Waterhouse, ma ogni minuto può essere fatale e il tempo scorre... finché Alice e la neonata improvvisamente spariscono. Nel nulla.

"A superbly creepy, twisty thriller” (The Times (London)) by the internationally best-selling author of The Other Woman’s House and The Wrong Mother Naomi Jenkins knows all about secrets: three years ago something so terrible happened to her that she''s never told anyone about it. Now, Naomi has another secret: her relationship with the unhappily married Robert Haworth. When Robert vanishes without explanation, Naomi knows he must have come to harm. But the police are less convinced, particularly when Robert''s wife insists he is not missing. In desperation, Naomi decides that if she can''t persuade the detectives that Robert is in danger, she''ll convince them that he is a danger to others. Naomi knows how to describe the actions of a psychopath; all she needs to do is dig up her own traumatic past. The second book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Truth-Teller’s Lie is a chillingly smart suspense novel sure to appeal to fans of Tess Gerritsen and Gillian Flynn.

Critically acclaimed queen of psychological crime Sophie Hannah''s fifth suspense novel - a must-read for those who loved The Secret Place. ''Beautifully written'' Daily Express ''Terrifying'' Heat Murder begins at home... TV producer Fliss Benson receives an anonymous card at work. The card has sixteen numbers on it, arranged in four rows of four - numbers that mean nothing to her. On the same day, Fliss finds out she''s going to be working on a documentary about miscarriages of justice involving cot-death mothers wrongly accused of murder. The documentary will focus on three women: Helen Yardley, Sarah Jaggard and Rachel Hines. All three women are now free, and the doctor who did her best to send them to prison for life, child protection zealot Dr Judith Duffy, is under investigation for misconduct. For reasons she has shared with nobody, this is the last project Fliss wants to be working on. And then Helen Yardley is found dead at her home, and in her pocket is a card with sixteen numbers on it, arranged in four rows of four . . .

When Susanna puts on a different pair of glasses she''s drawn into another world where she has to make a dangerous journey. Fortunately, she has some of the inhabitants of Moomin Valley to help her. Suggested level: junior, primary.

A creepy, fast-paced psychological thriller from the author of The Wrong Mother and The Other Woman’s House It’s every mother’s worst nightmare. When Alice Fancourt leaves her newborn daughter at home with her husband for the first time, she comes home to a horrifying discovery: her child has been swapped with another baby. In near hysterics, Alice rushes to call the police, but soon discovers that no one, not even her husband David, believes her. When the police arrive, Detective Simon Waterhouse is drawn to the lovely Alice but doubts her story and suspects that she is suffering from postpartum depression. Meanwhile, David is growing increasingly hostile and Alice begins to fear that her baby’s disappearance may be linked to his first wife’s untimely death. Can Alice convince the police before it’s too late? The first book in Sophie Hannah’s acclaimed Zailer and Waterhouse series established her as a new master of psychological suspense. For fans of Tana French and Tess Gerritsen, Little Face is a chilling look at the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child.

"When Naomi Jenkins arrives at the police station, she is sure that Robert, her married boyfriend, has come to harm. Detective Constable Simon Waterhouse and Detective Sergeant Charlie Zailer are not convinced, however, especially when Robert''s wife insists he is not missing." "So Naomi hatches a desperate plot, drawing on a past rape experience. As she digs further for the truth, Naomi discovers that Robert''s disappearance is more closely tied to her past than she could have imagined."--BOOK JACKET.

Full of enchanting humor and intimacy, this inventive collection of poems is designed to engage and delight. Rhymed metrical forms are masterfully handled to produce highly amusing effects and traditional prose is manipulated in order to handle contemporary subjects. Moving yet lighthearted, these poems are a complicated brew that poetry lovers of every stripe will enjoy.

In this collection of poetry, Sophie Hannah explores and celebrates the complex interactions and strong feelings involved in everyday experience, in poems that are memorable, witty and moving.

Soap opera writer Simone "Sim" Purdy franticly tries to restore the status que to her world when two of her friends break up.

Belinda Nield knows what she wants. She wants Tony Lamb, a beautiful but silent stranger who has been foisted on the school where she teaches. But she isn''t the only one who wants him.

Combining traditional forms and those associated with modernism, this collection focuses on love, loss, and the different ways in which people - for better or worse - can be significant to each other.

The virtuosity and high spirits of Sophie Hannah''s poems are unusual at any time of day. She handles rhymed metrical forms with wily insouciance and passes the ''memorability test'' with flying colors. What seems simple or simply achieved more often than not on closer inspection yields subtleties of feeling and form. A surrealising impulse unsettles even the most tidy of her stanzas with a shrewd imaginative wantonness. Her experiments with subject-matter produce something more satisfying than ''social verse''. An urban person who prefers shopping, eating and romance to hopping over cowpats on a country walk, she writes with generous rather than reductive wit.