From the exceptionally original mind of CWA Gold Dagger Award winner and Booker-longlisted author Belinda Bauer, a sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years.

It was the greatest mystery never told . . .

1926. On the towering cliffs of Yorkshire, men are lowered on ropes to steal the eggs of the sea birds who nest there. The most beautiful are sold for large sums. But when small and hungry Celie Sheppard finds an 'impossible' red egg, it will forever alter the course of her life - and the lives of others.

100 years later in a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort discovers his friend, Nick, and his mother tied up and robbed. The only thing missing: a carved case containing an incredible scarlet egg. Doggedly attempting to retrieve it, Patrick and Nick discover the cruel world of egg trafficking, and soon find themselves on the trail of a priceless collection of eggs lost to history. Until now.

A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skullduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer's status as one of our greatest living crime writers.

Belinda Bauer is a phenomenal voice in British crime fiction, whose work has garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. The Shut Eye is a spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat thriller about a woman who gets involved with a psychic who may be able to find her missing son. Five footprints are the only sign that four-year-old Daniel Buck was ever here. And now they are all his mother has left. Every day, Anna Buck guards the little prints in the cement. Polishing them to a shine. Keeping them safe. Spiraling towards insanity. Anna is desperate for hope, which she's not getting from the police, or her husband James. So when a woman tells her she's found a true psychic, a "shut eye," she grasps at it. Maybe he can tell her what happened to her son. But when she meets the psychic, what she gets is not at all what she suspected. Matching breathtaking suspense with a keen exploration of skepticism in the face of the unexplainable, The Shut Eye is a riveting read from one of our finest crime writers.

In bleak midwinter, the people of Shipcott are shocked by the murder of an elderly woman in her bed. As snow cuts off the village, local policeman Jonas Holly is torn between catching a brutal killer and protecting his vulnerable wife, Lucy.
When the inquiry is commandeered by an abrasive senior detective, Jonas finds himself derided by his colleagues and ashamed to admit to Lucy that he's been sidelined. It seems his first murder investigation may be over before it's begun. But when he receives a series of increasingly sinister anonymous notes, Jonas is thrust back into the center of the case. Someone in the village is taunting him, blaming him for the tragedy. Someone thinks he's not doing his job; someone seems to know every move he makes. And soon Jonas has to ask: "Who's hunting who?"

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, Billy Peters disappeared. Everyone in town believes Billy was murdered--after all, serial killer Arnold Avery later admitted killing six other children and burying them on the same desolate moor that surrounds their small English village. Only Billy's mother is convinced he is alive. She still stands lonely guard at the front window of her home, waiting for her son to return, while her remaining family fragments around her.
But her twelve-year-old grandson Steven is determined to heal the cracks that gape between his nan, his mother, his brother, and himself. Steven desperately wants to bring his family closure, and if that means personally finding his uncle's corpse, he'll do it.
Spending his spare time digging holes all over the moor in the hope of turning up a body is a long shot, but at least it gives his life purpose.
Then at school, when the lesson turns to letter writing, Steven has a flash of inspiration . . . Careful to hide his identity, he secretly pens a letter to Avery in jail asking for help in finding the body of "W.P."--William "Billy" Peters.
So begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.
Just as Steven tries to use Avery to pinpoint the gravesite, so Avery misdirects and teases his mysterious correspondent in order to relive his heinous crimes. And when Avery finally realizes that the letters he's receiving are from a twelve-year-old boy, suddenly "his "life has purpose too.
Although his is "far "more dangerous . . .
"
Blacklands "is a taut and chillingly brilliant debut that signals the arrival of a bright new voice in psychological suspense.

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, this is the page-turning, twisty, and often hilarious new crime novel from bestselling author Belinda Bauer. A Sunday Times 'best paperbacks of 2021' pick and The Times 'best thriller books of 2021' pick 'Quirky, charming, intensely human, important . . . and very suspenseful. I loved it.' Lee Child __________________ 'This ingenious and darkly comic mystery is an absolute delight and Felix is one of the most loveable fugitives ever created.' Sunday Express Meet Felix Pink. The most unlikely murderer you'll ever have the good fortune to spend time with. When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he's there to perform an act of charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath . . . But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police - after making the biggest mistake of his life. Now his world is turned upside down as he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play. All while staying one shaky step ahead of the law. __________ 'Fresh, funny, flawless. The best crime novel you'll read this year.' Clare Mackintosh 'Bauer's judgement of tone is perfect throughout a captivating whodunnit that's often hilarious . . . beady-eyed yet tender, it resembles a collaboration between Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark.' Sunday Times __________________ Readers are loving EXIT and the marvellous Felix Pink: 'Another winner from this outstanding author who has a unique ability to blend crime with humour.' 'Felix Pink - one of the most adorably unexpected murderers in print.' 'A brilliantly entertaining crime read, with an ordinary pensioner at its heart, a Felix who managed to capture my heart.' 'It may seem a dark topic but Exit is anything but. Pure joy, honestly.' 'Despite being a crime novel, it is a charming book that encompasses themes of compassion, friendship, love and standing up for what you believe is right.' 'This is an exceptionally cleverly crafted novel. A fair amount of black humour, two love stories, quite a lot of gambling and some unlikely friendships.'

Crime & Thriller Book of the Year (Specsavers National Book Awards) Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018. 'The best crime novel I've read in a very long time.' VAL MCDERMID SNAP DECISIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS . . . On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she'd said. I won't be long. But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever. Three years later, Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother . . . ___ 'Original, pacy and thoroughly entertaining . . . a cracking read.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'No one writes crime novels like Belinda Bauer, with a rare blend of darkness, humour and heart. She's a crime writing genius.' C. L. TAYLOR 'Edgy, original and beautifully written, this suspenseful story is dazzlingly good.' Sunday Mirror 'The opening of Snap is one of the most vividly unnerving I have read . . . razor-sharp observation.' Guardian ___ Readers are gripped by Snap: 'Full of suspenseful twists and turns' ***** 'Twisty, intriguing and so cleverly written I couldn't put it down' ***** 'A refreshingly different murder mystery' *****

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP 'The most polished crime writer on the murder beat' Daily Express Five footprints are the only sign that Daniel Buck was ever here. Yesterday they were a family just like any other: Anna and James, and their little boy, Daniel. But in one careless moment everything changed. A front door accidentally left ajar . . . and Daniel was gone. Now they are a pair of strangers who can't even look each other in the eye. Distrust and unspoken words fill the void where their son used to be. Anna will go to any lengths to find Daniel - a four-year-old doesn't just vanish into thin air. But how far will this desperate search push her? Right to the brink. And beyond. ___ Readers love The Shut Eye: 'Original and inventive . . . Fabulous stuff!' ***** 'I was absolutely gripped by this novel' ***** 'A captivating story with such strong characters' *****

"Bauer at her best . . . the true heir to the great Ruth Rendell."--Mail on Sunday (UK) Belinda Bauer is a phenomenal voice in British crime fiction, whose work has garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Shortlisted for the 2015 Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, The Facts of Life and Death is a creepy, edge-of-your-seat thriller about a serial killer who terrorizes vulnerable women, with their families forced to bear witness. On the beaches and cliffs of North Devon, lone women have become victims in a terrifying game where only one player knows the rules. And when those rules change, the new game is murder. But a madman on the loose feels very far from the crumbling, seaside home of ten-year-old Ruby Trick. Instead she lives in constant fear of school bullies, the dark forest crowding her house into the sea, and the threat of her parents' divorce. Helping her father to catch the killer seems like the only way to keep him close. As long as the killer doesn't catch her first.

In bleak midwinter, the people of Shipcott are shocked by the murder of an elderly woman in her bed. As snow cuts off the village, local policeman Jonas Holly is torn between catching a brutal killer and protecting his vulnerable wife, Lucy. Soon Jonas is taunted by a series of increasingly sinister anonymous notes from someone who seems to know every move he makes.

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP 'Extraordinarily powerful and evocative . . . will leave you breathless.' Daily Mirror VOTED CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR when it was first released, and still the most gripping, powerful thriller debut you will read this year. ___ Steven Lamb is 12 when he writes his first letter . . . to a serial killer Every day after school, whilst his classmates swap football stickers, twelve-year-old Steven digs holes on Exmoor, hoping to find a body. His uncle disappeared aged eleven and is assumed to have fallen victim to the notorious serial killer Arnold Avery - but his body has never been found. Steven's Nan does not believe her son is dead. She still waits for him to come home, standing bitter guard at the front window while her family fragments around her. Steven is determined to heal the widening cracks between them before it's too late - even if that means presenting his grandmother with the bones of her murdered son. But when Steven realises this is an impossible task, he crafts a careful letter to Arnold Avery in prison. And there begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game between a desperate child and a bored psychopath . . . Readers love Blacklands: 'A dark, gripping story . . . full of tension' ***** 'A truly chilling and disturbing read' ***** 'An intelligent crime thriller that seeps with atmosphere' ***** *Belinda Bauer's pulse-pounding new thriller, EXIT, is out now*

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE The latest from award-winning crime writer Belinda Bauer, winner of the UK National Book Award, and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Snap is a gripping novel about a teenage boy's hunt for his mother's killer. Eileen Bright puts her 11-year-old son Jack in charge when she left their broken-down car on the side of the road to find help. But she never comes back, and three years later, Jack's still in charge: of his sisters, of making ends meet, of making sure nobody knows they're all alone in the house, and--quite suddenly--of finding out who murdered his mother. Meanwhile, a young woman named Catherine While wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note reading "I could have killed you." With a husband on the road and a baby on the way, Catherine makes a single bad choice that leads her into a tangled web of deception and danger. A stylish, masterfully written novel that will have readers on the edge of their seats, Snap is Belinda Bauer at the height of her powers.

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'Crime novels don't get much better than this' C.L. Taylor They wanted the same things. Death - and an audience. Eve Singer makes her living from death. As a TV crime reporter, she'll go to any length to get the latest scoop. But when a twisted serial killer starts using her to gain the publicity he craves, Eve must decide how far she's willing to go - and how close she'll let him get . . . __________ 'Evocative and disturbing' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door 'Excellent tension' The Times 'Spectacular' Sunday Times Readers are gripped by The Beautiful Dead: 'A fast and thrilling story with twists and turns from start to finish.' ***** 'Very well-written and extremely tense' ***** 'A great thriller from a very talented author' *****

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP *WINNER! Crime Novel of the Year* 'Contains one of the most startling plots in contemporary crime fiction' Sunday Times ___ Patrick has uncovered a crime that the experts were too close to see . . . Life is strange for Patrick Fort - being a medical student with Asperger's Syndrome doesn't come without its challenges. And that's before he is faced with solving a possible murder. Because the body Patrick is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things. And now he must stay out of danger long enough to unravel the mystery - while he dissects his own evidence . . . 'Bauer's great gift is her ability to surprise the reader: in the sense of making you jump out of your chair, certainly, but also in that she makes you think a bit differently about the world' Daily Telegraph 'Breathtaking. I read this and wished I'd written it' Val McDermid 'This could be the most astonishing whodunnit you are ever likely to read' Red Magazine online Readers love Rubbernecker: 'A compelling, intelligent thriller' ***** 'A totally brilliant story . . . Gripping and heart-felt' ***** 'Original and absorbing - a great read' *****

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP 'Belinda Bauer is one of the best British crime writers out there right now' Simon Kernick Every killer has to start somewhere . . . On the beaches and cliffs of North Devon, young women have become victims in a terrifying game where only one player knows the rules. And when those rules change, the new game is Murder. But a madman on the loose feels very far from the crumbling, seaside home of ten-year-old Ruby Trick. Instead she lives in constant fear of school bullies, the dark forest, and the threat of her parents' divorce. Helping her father to catch the killer seems like the only way to keep him close. As long as the killer doesn't catch her first. ___ 'Bauer's great gift is her ability to surprise the reader . . . She makes you think a bit differently about the world' Daily Telegraph Readers are gripped by The Facts of Life and Death: 'If it was possible to give ten stars I would. I absolutely loved this book' ***** 'One of my favourite crime novels of all time' ***** 'Absorbing from start to finish, a cracking read!' *****

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP 'A remarkable achievement' Independent 'One of the leading names in crime fiction.' Stylist Magazine ___ The eight-year-old boy had vanished from the car and - as if by slick, sick magic - had been replaced by a note on the steering wheel: You don't love him At the height of summer a dark shadow falls across Exmoor. Children are being stolen. There are no explanations, no ransom demands...and no hope. Policeman Jonas Holly faces a precarious journey into the warped mind of the kidnapper if he is to find them. But there are some who would say that Jonas is the last man to entrust with this job... ___ Readers love Finders Keepers: 'Taught, tense and unputdownable' ***** 'An incredible page turner' ***** 'Carefully crafted, intricately plotted and a joy to read' *****