Bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…

Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the esteemed Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest. He says his wife couldn't be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.

Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential. All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way.

It's really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.

Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with. We all have our secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

The sharpest new voice in psychological suspense returns with an unputdownable new thriller on the deadliest subject of all: true love.

Wes and Ivy are madly in love. It's the kind of romance people write stories about. But what kind of story? Because when it's good, it's very very good. But when it's bad, it's bad.

But their breakneck cycle of catastrophic vengeful break-ups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy - and she's a detective.

One wrong move will be fatal - so if Wes and Ivy can't stick together, this break-up might just be their last.

SOMETIMES ONLY A THRILLER WILL DO. PICK UP SOMETHING YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN . . . NOTHING IS DEADLIER THAN TRUE LOVE...

NOTHING IS DEADLIER THAN TRUE LOVE...

Wes and Ivy are madly in love. It's the kind of romance people write stories about. But what kind of story?

Because when it's good, it's very very good. But when it's bad, it's bad.

But their breakneck cycle of catastrophic vengeful break-ups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy - and she's a detective.

One wrong move will be fatal - so if Wes and Ivy can't stick together, this break-up might just be their last.

SOMEONE ALWAYS TAKES THINGS TOO FAR . . . 'So addictive it should come with a warning' Alice Feeney *** No-one knows you better than your family. They know the little things that make you smile. Your proudest achievements. Your darkest secrets. Sure, you haven't always been best friends. But if it seemed as though someone was after you, that you might be in danger, then you'd be on each other's side. Right? So gripping you won't stop reading. So twisty that you won't know who to trust. And so dark that you'll realise something truly chilling: No-one is more dangerous than the ones who know you best. 'My Lovely Wife was one of my top books of 2019. He Started It is even better!' C.J. Tudor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man 'Whip-smart, lean, deliciously dark and addictive. One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time' Ali Land 'Wow! It's dark, it's twisted and it's going to be your new favourite book! 5***** reader review 'Chilling, thrilling, twisty, fast paced, riveting, tense, dark & scary... My favourite book this year' 5***** reader review Have you discovered My Lovely Wife, the bestselling debut psychological thriller of last year? A Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club pick 'The most gripping psychological thriller of 2019' Stylist 'Wow! My Lovely Wife is a stunner - full of twists, well-drawn characters, and riveting suspense' Harlan Coben, bestselling author of Don't Let Go 'The next Gone Girl' Marie Claire Winner at the Dead Good Reader Awards Shortlisted for an Edgar and ITW Thriller Award

SOME LESSONS CAN BE DEADLY . . . The unputdownable new thriller from the author of international sensation and Richard & Judy pick, MY LOVELY WIFE 'Dark, sly and delicious . . . totally original - and totally compelling' JP DELANEY, bestselling author of PLAYING NICE 'Samantha Downing is totally the real deal. Wry and dark and witty and clever' SARAH PINBOROUGH, bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES 'Wonderfully dark and twisty. I raced through it, desperate to know how it would end' BA PARIS _______ Teddy Crutcher won Teacher of the Year at the prestigious Belmont Academy. Everyone thinks he's brilliant. Only you know the truth. They all smile when he tells us his wife couldn't be more proud. But no-one has seen her in a while. They're impressed when he doesn't let anything distract him - even the tragic death of a school parent. Even when the whispers start, saying it was murder. You're sure Teddy is hiding something about what happened that day. You're sure you can prove it. But you didn't stop to think that when it comes to catching a killer, there's no place more dangerous than just one step behind . . . _______ 'An irresistibly tale tale of parents, pupils and poison: the American dream turned suburban nightmare' TM LOGAN 'A brilliant psychological black comedy with a really fresh feel, packed with sly observation and outrageous twists' DAILY MAIL PRAISE FOR SAMANTHA DOWNING 'Wow! My Lovely Wife is a stunner - full of twists, well-drawn characters, and riveting suspense' Harlan Coben 'The next Gone Girl' Marie Claire 'The twist at the end of the first chapter made me read through the night' Jane Corry

The bestselling author of My Lovely Wife returns with an addictive new psychological thriller, now available for pre-order! NOTHING IS DEADLIER THAN TRUE LOVE... Wes and Ivy are madly in love. It's the kind of romance people write stories about. But what kind of story? Because when it's good, it's very very good. But when it's bad, it's bad. But their breakneck cycle of catastrophic vengeful break-ups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy - and she's a detective. One wrong move will be fatal - so if Wes and Ivy can't stick together, this break-up might just be their last. Praise for Samantha Downing 'Dark, sly and delicious...totally original - and totally compelling' JP Delaney 'A twisty, audacious, Gone Girl-y psychological thriller. The book that everyone is going to be talking about' Red 'Dark, shocking and very witty, this wickedly good read will make you run screaming from the suburbs' Heat

A sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…

Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the esteemed Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest. He says his wife couldn't be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.

Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential. All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way.

It's really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.

SOMEONE ALWAYS TAKES THINGS TOO FAR . . . The gripping Sunday Times bestselling psychological thriller from the No. 1 bestselling author of My Lovely Wife 'So addictive it should come with a warning' Alice Feeney ________ No-one knows you better than your family. They know the little things that make you smile. They know your darkest secrets. Sure, you haven't always been best friends. But if it seemed as though someone was after you, that you might be in danger, then you'd be on each other's side . . . Right? So gripping you won't stop reading. So twisty that you won't know who to trust. And so dark that you'll realise something truly chilling: No-one is more dangerous than the ones who know you best. ________ 'My Lovely Wife was one of my top books of 2019. He Started It is even better!' C.J. Tudor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man 'Whip-smart, lean, deliciously dark and addictive. One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time' Ali Land 'Wow! It's dark, it's twisted and it's going to be your new favourite book! 5***** Reader Review 'Chilling, thrilling, twisty, fast paced, riveting, tense, dark & scary . . . My favourite book this year' 5***** Reader Review PRAISE FOR MY LOVELY WIFE 'The most gripping psychological thriller of 2019' Stylist 'Wow! My Lovely Wife is a stunner - full of twists, well-drawn characters, and riveting suspense' Harlan Coben, bestselling author of Don't Let Go 'An assured and deliciously engrossing debut. It will linger long after you've reached the last page' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes