Books set in England

Reading lists

The best crime novels set in England

The gripping and addictive thriller

Just What Kind of Mother Are You?

the basis for the TV series DEEP WATER

What could be worse than a child going missing? When it’s your best friend’s child. And it was on your watch... An emotionally fraught psychological thriller and a shrewd examination of family life - and the evil that can lie beneath. NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES, starring Anna Friel.

Paula Daly is the acclaimed author of six novels. She has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award and her books have been developed for the ITV series, DEEP WATER, starring Anna Friel. She was born in Lancashire and lives in the Lake District with her family.

The basis for DEEP WATER, now a major ITV TV series, starring Anna Friel. 
 
'One of the most hypnotically gripping books I've read in a long, long time.' TESS GERRITSEN 
 
Your friend's child is missing. It's your fault. 
 
No family is perfect. 
 
A husband, three children and a full-time job, so many plates to keep spinning. 
 
No wonder you forgot you were supposed to be looking after your friend's daughter. 
 
But no one has seen her since yesterday. 
 
And she's not the first to go missing from your small town. 
 
So who's hiding something? 
 
'She writes with a singular voice and a passion that roars off the page . . . With a sharp, double-twist ending it announces Daly as a potential star' Daily Mail 
 
'Fiendishly addictive' Guardian 
 
'Riveting! Daly plunges straight into the heart of every parent's worst nightmare with page-turning results' Lisa Gardner 
 
'The sort of book that causes you to lose half a day without even noticing' Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner

a totally addictive psychological thriller with characters you’ll believe in

The Mistake I Made

With the dilemma and heart of Liane Moriarty, and the pace and twists of Clare Mackintosh, bestselling author Paula Daly returns with her latest phenomenal domestic thriller. NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES, starring Anna Friel.

The basis for DEEP WATER, now a major ITV TV series, starring Anna Friel. 
 
If you slept with a stranger for money, who'd really end up paying? 
 
'A page-turning thriller with heart' Renée Knight, author of Disclaimer 
 
We all think we know who we are. 
 
What we’re capable of. 
 
Roz is a single mother, a physiotherapist, a sister, a friend. She’s also desperate. 
 
Her business has gone under, she’s crippled by debt and she’s just had to explain to her son why someone’s taken all their furniture away. 
 
But now a stranger has made her an offer. For one night with her, he’ll pay enough to bring her back from the edge. 
 
Roz has a choice to make. 
 
'A big-hearted, empathetic novel about ordinary lives and the tremors that can rock them' Guardian

Open Your Eyes

an utterly gripping psychological suspense

The latest emotionally gripping domestic thriller from Paula Daly, acclaimed author of The Mistake I Made

Dark and delicious . . . Daly does it again!

Effortless writing, brilliant storytelling, characters that you really root for (even the villains!) So cleverly done. Her books just get better and better.

Susi Holliday, author of THE DEATHS OF DECEMBER

Brilliant characters, fast paced and gripping.

Claire Douglas, bestselling author of LOCAL GIRL MISSING

An electrifying plot that keeps you guessing to the last.

Fiona Barton, bestselling author of THE WIDOW and THE CHILD

Yet another gripping, heartbreaking read from a brilliant writer.

Jill Mansell, author of YOU AND ME ALWAYS

I always know I'm in safe hands when I open a Paula Daly novel. She's a hugely talented writer - one of the very best domestic noir authors in the UK - and her ability to craft a twisty, compelling plot is masterful. Open Your Eyes was thrilling, compelling, clever and hugely entertaining. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

'An electrifying plot that keeps you guessing to the last' Fiona Barton 
 
'Yet another gripping, heartbreaking read from a brilliant writer' Jill Mansell 
 
'Thrilling, compelling, clever and hugely entertaining. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' C L Taylor 
 
********* 
 
Haven’t we all wanted to pretend everything is fine? 
 
Jane doesn’t like confrontation. Given the choice, she'd prefer to focus on what’s going well, the good things in life. 
 
But when her husband, Leon, is brutally attacked in the driveway of their home, in front of their two young children, Jane has to face reality. As he lies in a coma, Jane must open her eyes to the problems in her life, and the secrets that have been kept from her, if she’s to find out who hurt her husband – and why. 
 
Maybe it’s time to face up to it all. Who knows what you might find . . . 
 
********* 
 
PRAISE FOR PAULA DALY: 
 
‘The UK’s answer to Liane Moriarty. Amazing.’ Claire McGowan 
 
‘Thoroughly enjoyable – a big-hearted, empathetic novel about ordinary lives and the tremors that can rock them.’ Guardian 
 
‘Kept me guessing right until the end. I devoured it.’ Claire Douglas 
 
‘Deliciously dark and addictive. I defy anyone starts it not to race through the pages until they reach the final, brilliant twist.’ Colette McBeth 
 
‘She writes with a singular voice and a fierce passion that roars off the page.’ Daily Mail

a twisty and unputdownable domestic thriller

The Trophy Child

Can you push your child too far? 
 
Paula Daly's latest gripping domestic thriller explores how far a tiger mother would go to achieve perfection, and the damage this can cause to a family.

'A terrific page turner.' Guardian 
 
'Kept me guessing right until the end. I devoured it.' Claire Douglas 
 
'The UK's answer to Liane Moriarty. Amazing' Claire McGowan 
 
___ 
 
A doting mother or a pushy parent? 
 
Karen Bloom expects perfection. Her son, Ewan, has been something of a disappointment and she won't be making the same mistake again with her beloved, talented child, Bronte. 
 
Bronte's every waking hour will be spent at music lessons and dance classes, doing extra schoolwork and whatever it takes to excel. 
 
But as Karen pushes Bronte to the brink, the rest of the family crumbles. Karen's husband, Noel, is losing himself in work, and his teenage daughter from his first marriage, Verity, is becoming ever more volatile. The family is dangerously near breaking point. 
 
Karen would know when to stop . . . wouldn't she? 
 
___ 
 
Readers are obsessed with The Trophy Child: 
 
***** 'Suspenseful and engaging with a shocking ending.' 
***** 'I absolutely raced through The Trophy Child, snatching every spare moment I could to read just a few more pages.' 
***** 'Gripping from start to finish. Her best so far!' 
 
 
IF YOU'VE ALREADY RACED THROUGH THE TROPHY CHILD THEN DON'T MISS CLEAR MY NAME, THE CAPTIVATING NEW THRILLER FROM PAULA DALY. *OUT NOW!*

Another fantastic twisty-turny novel by one of my favourite authors. I am always enthralled by her books and this is her best yet

Sheer perfection. THE TROPHY CHILD is gripping, darkly funny and bound to induce spasms of guilt in even the least pushy parent. I can’t remember the last time I was so enthralled. I want to stand on a mountain top and tell everyone to read this brilliant novel

The UK's answer to Liane Moriarty. Amazing.

Kept me guessing right until the end. I devoured it.

Unravels to reveal a surprising and gripping read . . . Daly expertly crafts a thriller from within the walls of domestic life and shows how tragedy uproots the illusions and pretences of idyllic family life.

Daly has created a particularly monstrous “tiger mother” in Karen Bloom . . . Entertaining and insightful.

Paula Daly bases her intricate, emotional domestic noir in seemingly ordinary suburbia and, set in the idyllic Lake District, The Trophy Child shows the turmoil underlying perfection . . . While this is family life at its darkest, Daly’s multifaceted but unlikeable characters are still shockingly relatable. The result is a fast-paced, enjoyable and suspenseful drama.

'Kept me guessing right until the end. I devoured it.' Claire Douglas, author of LOCAL GIRL MISSING 
 
'A terrific page turner' Guardian 
 
********* 
 
A doting mother or a pushy parent? 
 
Karen Bloom expects perfection. Her son, Ewan, has been something of a disappointment and she won’t be making the same mistake again with her beloved, talented child, Bronte. 
 
Bronte’s every waking hour will be spent at music lessons and dance classes, doing extra schoolwork and whatever it takes to excel. 
 
But as Karen pushes Bronte to the brink, the rest of the family crumbles. Karen’s husband, Noel, is losing himself in work, and his teenage daughter from his first marriage, Verity, is becoming ever more volatile. The family is dangerously near breaking point. 
 
Karen would know when to stop . . . wouldn’t she? 
 
********* 
 
'Another fantastic twisty-turny novel by one of my favourite authors. I am always enthralled by her books and this is her best yet' Jill Mansell 
 
'The UK's answer to Liane Moriarty. Amazing' Claire McGowan 
 
'Sheer perfection. The Trophy Child is gripping, darkly funny and bound to induce spasms of guilt in even the least pushy parent. I can’t remember the last time I was so enthralled. I want to stand on a mountain top and tell everyone to read this brilliant novel' Mark Edwards

Keep Your Friends Close

A gripping psychological thriller for fans of DAUGHTER, Liane Moriarty and Rosamund Lupton.

Utterly gripping, fast paced, and scarily believable

Gripping, intriguing and unputdownable. I loved it!

Deliciously dark and addictive. I defy anyone who starts it not to race through the pages until they reach the final, brilliant twist

Daly writes convincingly of a warped mind, the cracks in family life and the small triggers that send events spiralling out of control

Paula Daly lives in Cumbria with her husband, three children and whippet Skippy. Before becoming a writer she was a freelance physiotherapist. Keep Your Friends Close is her second novel.

'Fiendishly addictive' GUARDIAN 
 
Your best friend isn’t who you think she is. 
 
You’ve been friends since university, when you became the people you are today. 
 
You don’t see each other enough but when you do it’s as if you’ve never been apart. 
 
She’s one of the family. You would trust her with your life, your children, your husband. 
 
And when your daughter is rushed to hospital, you’re grateful that she’s stepping in at home, looking after things. 
 
But your best friend isn’t who you think she is. You’re about to find out just how wrong you were. 
 
'Deliciously dark and addictive. I defy anyone who starts it not to race through the pages until they reach the final, brilliant twist' Colette McBeth 
 
'Utterly gripping, fast paced, and scarily believable' Lesley Pearse 
 
'Daly writes convincingly of a warped mind, the cracks in family life and the small triggers that send events spiralling out of control' Daily Mail 
 
'Gripping, intriguing and unputdownable. I loved it!' Katie Fforde 
 
'Confident and well-written' Literary Review

No Remorse (Short Story)

What would you risk for the one you love? 
A short story from the author of JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU?

A SHORT STORY FROM THE AUTHOR OF JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU? 
 
What would you risk for the one you love? 
 
Catherine has returned to the sleepy Lake District town of Windermere, after ten years away. Once successful and wealthy, she’s shunned by her old friends and desperate for work. 
 
But there’s someone that’s keeping her here . . . and something that she’s got to do before she leaves for ever . . . 
 
PRAISE FOR PAULA DALY’S BOOKS 
 
‘Fiendishly addictive ' Guardian 
‘She writes with a singular voice and a fierce passion that roars off the page’ Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail 
‘The very definition of a page-turner’ Elizabeth Haynes 
‘Masterfully written and utterly unputdownable' Tess Gerritsen 
‘Riveting!’ Lisa Gardner 
‘Assured and nail-biting’ Cath Staincliffe 
‘I didn't see the end coming until the moment it appeared’ Julia Crouch

Paula Daly

Loved it – twisty, turny and as brilliant as ever.

Emotional, twisty and a joy to read. It deserves to be a huge bestseller.

An absorbing read. Paula Daly has done it again!

Superbly character-driven, with a sharp plot and a terrific sting in the tale.

I loved Clear My Name. It features two strong women, one in prison for murder, one working to reinvestigate the case. Add in secrets, lies, and family drama and it’s an immediate page turner!

Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of WHEN YOU SEE ME

Innocent? 
 
When Carrie was accused of brutally murdering her husband's lover, she denied it. She denied it when they arrested her, when they put her in front of a jury, and when they sent her to prison. 
 
Now she's three years into a fifteen-year sentence, away from the daughter she loves and the life she had built. And she is still denying that she is to blame. 
 
Guilty? 
 
Tess Gilroy has devoted her life to righting wrongs. Through her job for Innocence UK, a charity which takes on alleged miscarriages of justice, she works tirelessly to uncover the truth. 
 
But when she is asked to take Carrie's case, Tess realises that if she is to help this woman, she must risk uncovering the secrets she has struggled a lifetime to hide . . . 
 
We've all done things we're not proud of.

Paula Daly

Books by Paula Daly

Articles featuring Paula Daly

The best crime novels set in England

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter