Merry lives a simple life. For work, she writes cryptic crossword puzzles. For pleasure, she swims in the icy cold sea. And in between she keeps a careful eye on her neighbour, Lucas Manning, the son of her late best friend Julia.One day Lucas's wife reports him missing. Merry has known Lucas his whole life; he would never walk out like this. Bad things have always hovered around the Manning family. Lucas's abusive criminal father disappeared decades ago, and his brother Sean is in jail. But Lucas is different. A good man. He was the one who turned Sean in to the police, after all. Although Sean has spent every day since professing his innocence. As she begins to dig into Lucas's life, Merry forms an uneasy alliance with a private investigator doing the same. Gareth was hired by Lucas's employers, who are also desperate to locate him - and the sensitive work project he has absconded with. Merry might be a cryptic crossword mastermind, but reading people is hard. Was she...

Never trust anyone. Never trust yourself.Rachel has made poor decisions in the past, but she has always tried her best for her daughter. When Vivian needed a fresh start, Rachel didn't hesitate to move them far from London. She just wishes she could shake the nagging doubt that Vivian is hiding something. Vivian isn't like other teenagers. On the surface she seems the same as her friends, but she knows she is different. When enigmatic Alex takes an interest in her, Vivian's cool demeanour hides an intensity of feeling she has never known before. His touch sets her skin on fire. Mother and daughter are both keeping secrets. But just how dangerous are they? As lust and anger give way to violence Rachel will have to decide: is she prepared to give up everything for her child? Even her own life?A taut and gripping psychological thriller about toxic families, secrets and life-or-death decisions. Don't miss this if you're a fan of He...