Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community – disappearances, arson and mutilations – all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself.

In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect. And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries – no matter the cost.

Sixteen Horses is the debut literary thriller from an extraordinary talent, Greg Buchanan. A story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind . . .

** FEATURED ON BBC TWO'S BETWEEN THE COVERS ** 'Unlike anything else you'll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible' - Val McDermid, author of Still Life 'Totally gripping from start to finish' - Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient 'Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting' - Sophie Hannah, author of Haven't They Grown Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community – disappearances, arson and mutilations – all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself. In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect. And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries – no matter the cost. Sixteen Horses is the debut literary thriller from an extraordinary talent, Greg Buchanan. A story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind . . .

A slick, smart, stylish - and shocking - thriller from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction. On a lonely farmstead, a 70-year-old woman falls down outside and, unable to move, is consumed overnight by two of her pigs. It seems like a tragic accident, except the woman was well-known photographer Sophia Bertilak - and inside her house, someone has removed all her photos from their frames, seemingly erasing her past... The first photo Sophia ever took remains her most infamous: a missing girl who was never seen again. Forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen is drafted in for the post-mortem - and slowly becomes obsessed with the victim, her family, and the crimes she brought to light decades ago. As Cooper pulls on a dark thread of deception, secrets and lies, she begins to unravel the case - as well as herself... * Praise for Sixteen Horses 'Utterly gripping, exquisitely written' THE GUARDIAN 'Unlike anything else you'll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible' VAL MCDERMID 'Totally gripping from start to finish' ALEX MICHAELIDES 'Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting' SOPHIE HANNAH 'Breath-taking ... This is crime writing of a striking calibre' DAILY MAIL

** Featured on BBC Two's Between The Covers ** 'Irresistible' - Val McDermid, author of 1979 'Breathtaking' - Daily Mail 'Totally gripping' - Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient 'Read it, read it, read it' - B. P. Walter, author of The Dinner Guest 'Original' - Sophie Hannah, author of Haven't They Grown Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses' heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community - disappearances, arson and mutilations - all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself. In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect. And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries - no matter the cost. Sixteen Horses is the debut literary thriller from an extraordinary talent, Greg Buchanan.

A slick, smart, stylish - and shocking - thriller from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction. On a lonely farmstead, a 70-year-old woman falls down outside and, unable to move, is consumed overnight by two of her pigs. It seems like a tragic accident, except the woman was well-known photographer Sophia Bertilak - and inside her house, someone has removed all her photos from their frames, seemingly erasing her past... The first photo Sophia ever took remains her most infamous: a missing girl who was never seen again. Forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen is drafted in for the post-mortem - and slowly becomes obsessed with the victim, her family, and the crimes she brought to light decades ago. As Cooper pulls on a dark thread of deception, secrets and lies, she begins to unravel the case - as well as herself... * Praise for Sixteen Horses 'Utterly gripping, exquisitely written' THE GUARDIAN 'Unlike anything else you'll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible' VAL MCDERMID 'Totally gripping from start to finish' ALEX MICHAELIDES 'Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting' SOPHIE HANNAH 'Breath-taking ... This is crime writing of a striking calibre' DAILY MAIL