The brilliantly funny new crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of SNAP

Exit

IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER . . . 
Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it's never too late for life to go horribly wrong.

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.'

A crime novel . . . but not as you know it.

Beady-eyed yet tender, it resembles a collaboration between Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark.

Fresh, funny, flawless: EXIT is a joy from start to finish.

Charming, intensely human . . . and very suspenseful. I loved it.

EXIT is ingeniously plotted and every word is perfect. It’s a rare book that has you turning the pages impatiently, desperate to solve the mystery, all the while never wanting it to end because it’s such a joy to read. Felix Pink is the most loveable killer in recent fiction.

Twisty, brilliantly plotted and funny too. Felix Pink is a wonderful character and I just wanted to hug him. (He'd be horrified!)

EXIT is the perfect antidote to the nervy gloom of this shut-down world. It's warm and funny and dark and sad all at the same time, beautifully plotted and paced, and peopled with fabulous, complex characters that have drawn me right into their lives. Felix is fast becoming one of my favourite fictional characters.

Donal Ryan, author of FROM A LOW AND QUIET SEA

This darkly funny crime novel has possibly the most unique concept I've come across: 75-year-old Felix is part of a network called the Exiteers, who sit with people who have chosen to end their lives. Except on his most recent mission, something goes wrong and Felix finds himself on the run for murder. For fans of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie books.

I loved Exit. Belinda Bauer writes the sort of characters who rock your world view and yet pull you in totally. Her plots are completely out of left field but she is singing my tune. A fan for life (I know, slightly creepy) and cannot wait for the next...

Fiona Barton, bestselling author of THE WIDOW

Exit is an absolute delight, a darkly comic mystery that will keep you guessing while you frantically turn the pages, and Felix is one of the most loveable fugitives ever created. This ingenious and unique crime novel is the perfect tonic to the gloom of another lockdown.

A cunningly plotted thriller with more than a dash of Joe Orton-like black comedy. Bauer confirms her status as one of our most consistently inventive crime novelists.

This intriguing, tender, funny and sometimes (in the best possible way) farcical novel about life and death is a sheer delight.

The plot is breakneak, but what lingers most is the hero's capacity for empathy at any cost.

Belinda Bauer's murder-mystery combines satisfying twisty suspense with black comedy and unexpectedly warm humanity.

Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa and now lives in Wales. She worked as a journalist and a screenwriter before finally writing a book to appease her nagging mother. 
 
For her debut, Blacklands, Belinda was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year. She went on to win the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work. Her fourth novel, Rubbernecker, was voted Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Her eighth novel, Snap, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It was longlisted for the Man Booker prize and voted Crime &amp; Thriller Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards. 
 
Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages.

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. 
 
'Quirky, charming, intensely human, important . . . and very suspenseful. I loved it.' 
Lee Child 
__________________ 
 
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

The astonishing crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Rubbernecker

The award-winning crime novel from the bestselling author of SNAP.

One of the most startling plots in contemporary crime fiction

Bauer's great gift is her ability to surprise the reader... [and] she makes you think a bit differently about the world.

Breathtaking. I read this and wished I’d written it

This could be the most astonishing whodunnit you are ever likely to read

Taking the psychological thriller into new territory

Obvious echoes of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . . . darker and with more twists and coils than a hangman's noose, it deserves to do equally well

Rubbernecker isn’t your average crime novel: it's far better than that

Bauer has once again succeeded in creating an innovative path into detection

The exciting result reads like a collaboration between Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) and Barbara Vine

A brilliant description of autism from the inside

Obvious echoes of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . . . and with more twists and coils than a hangman's noose, it deserves to do equally well

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

The exciting result reads like a collaboration between Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) and Barbara Vine.

Bauer has once again succeeded in creating an innovative path into detection.

[Rubbernecker] contains one of the most startling plots in contemporary crime fiction

Belinda Bauer is one of the best British crime writers out there right now

Belinda Bauer's thrillers are always compelling, always original, always brilliant. I will rush to read anything she writes

Bold and original, Rubbernecker draws you into unexpected psychological territory with its sophisticated, fast-paced story. A thought-provoking page-turner you won't be able to put down.

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

Darkside

The sensational, critically acclaimed crime novel by the bestselling author of Snap.

Bauer has shifted the boundaries of what makes a truly gripping, terrifying thriller

Bauer takes astonishing risks but - like a brilliant ski-jumper - arcs down to the perfect landing

She can do tragic brilliantly and she can do grim, but every now and then humour breaks into the tale - and she does that almost best of all

I would press this one on anyone who loves Kate Atkinson, Bauer really is that good

Bold, mordant, compassionate, Darkside confirms Bauer's reputation as a significant new talent

Tense triumph... Bauer defies all expectations and does it again with a book that piles on the tension while remaining credible. It says something about the author that this novel can sit happily next to some of the more hard-boiled heavyweights

Belinda Bauer is the most disturbing new talent around

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP 
 
'Bauer's great gift is her ability to surprise the reader' Daily Telegraph 
 
THE QUESTION IS: WHO IS HUNTING WHO? 
 
In a small village where no stranger goes unnoticed, a local woman has been murdered in her bed. 
 
This is PC Jonas Holly's first murder investigation. But he is distracted by anonymous messages that seem to come from the killer . . . 
 
Is Jonas going to be able to solve the crime, whilst being taunted by a psychopath? 
 
___ 
 
'Impressively original and convincing' 
Sophie Hannah 
 
Readers are gripped by Darkside: 
 
'A captivating read which I couldn't put down' ***** 
'Brilliant, clever, crime fiction' ***** 
'Gripping and entertaining' *****

The astonishing Sunday Times bestseller and BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick

Snap

The phenomenal latest crime novel from Belinda Bauer, twice winner of Crime Novelist of the Year, author of The Beautiful Dead.

The best crime novel I've read in a very long time.

Snap is the best kind of crime novel - it gives you chills, it makes you think, and it touches your heart. I loved it!

Sarah Pinborough, No. 1 bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES

Original, pacy and thoroughly entertaining . . . a cracking read.

Clare Mackintosh, bestselling author of I LET YOU GO

If you loved Steven Lamb in Bauer's debut Blacklands you will love Jack Bright in Snap. No one writes crime novels like Belinda Bauer, with such a rare blend of darkness, humour and heart. She's a crime writing genius and no mistake

Intelligent entertainment that keeps you guessing

Belinda Bauer is one of the very few really original crime writers of our time . . . The plot is neat and clever, but it is not the stories, the style or the characters alone - though all are good - that set Bauer's work apart. It is an indefinable extra ingredient that makes some books stand out from the crowd. This is one of them.

Is there a current writer in the genre who can be guaranteed never to repeat themselves - and who comes up with an original premise for each new book? Yes there is - and it is the highly individual Belinda Bauer. Snap, her latest novel, continues this pleasing trajectory . . . Bauer (as ever) is very much her own woman, and produces something that exerts a considerable grip on the reader.

Edgy, original and beautifully written, this suspenseful story is dazzlingly good.

Belinda Bauer's plots are never anything less than original and unsettling, and her latest outing is no exception.

The opening of Snap is one of the most vividly unnerving I have read . . . razor-sharp observation.

Belinda Bauer's fiction teems with life . . . She is also an ingenious creator, never afraid to improve on reality . . . She is on absolutely cracking form in her latest novel . . . Kate Atkinson used to be the undisputed master of this sort of mixture of the serious, the exciting and the anarchic, but Bauer is now firmly in her class.

Belinda Bauer's novels are original, disconcerting and gripping.

A compelling and highly intricate novel . . . Snap follows the human impact of murder rather than the gory details

Crime &amp; 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' *****

The addictive debut novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Blacklands

CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2010! This powerful psychological debut will leave you breathless . . .

[Belinda Bauer] is such an interesting writer - a restless intelligence that always goes its own way, but always comes up with something that feels both surprising but inevitable.

Extraordinarily powerful and provocative... will leave you breathless

An excellent first novel, with a highly original plot

A very special debut thriller, and a clear-eyed depiction of ordinary people under extraordinary stress. This is something quite new

ANN CLEEVES, bestselling author of the Vera and Shetland novels

A psychological tour-de-force about the cruelty of hope and, ultimately, the triumph of innocence

The reader is fully gripped... Bauer's first novel shows an extraordinary power of imagination and, vital in crime fiction, the ability to create fear and empathy in the reader

In this atmospheric debut, Bauer ably paints a convincingly chilling portrait of a child killer, but it is her moving portrayal of a lonely, bullied child with a comfortless life that singles her out as an accomplished writer

Blacklands caused the hearts of hardened reviewers to flip a beat

Original, unsettling and atmospheric, this is a debut that hits the ground running

Exceptional debut . . . A new UK crime writer to shout about

Blacklands heralds a fresh new voice in crime: Belinda Bauer inhabits the mind of her 12-year-old hero, struggling to tease the whereabouts of his uncle's body from an imprisoned child-killer, with uncanny conviction

A compelling story of a fragmented family and the loss of innocence

A tense, well-orchestrated crime novel with a refreshingly unusual premise

A chilling and gripping original thriller by a great new talent. You'll want to race through to the scary climax

Blacklands... managed to glean the best word-of-mouth for any new crime novel in years.

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*

The Beautiful Dead

The new crime novel from Belinda Bauer, twice winner of Crime Novelist of the Year, author of Rubbernecker and Blacklands. 
 
'One of the most individual of crime writers . . . Bauer is streets ahead of most of her rivals' Independent

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' *****

Incredible. Just incredible. Belinda Bauer is a genius.

...all the texture and depth of a classic crime thriller... This increasingly taut thriller is page-clawing material.

...this wintery chiller is a fantastic take on the serial killer thriller.

The Beautiful Dead will keep you up all night.

Shari Lapena, author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR

...a book you'll read in one go after making sure every door is locked.

Over half a dozen novels, Belinda Bauer has staked a claim to the gruesome, spectacular and bizarre... trademark ingenuity.

A masterclass in storytelling. Crime novels don't get much better than this. I loved it

Belinda Bauer is the connoisseur of crime novels.

...the formidably talented Belinda Bauer. From the award-winning Blacklands onwards, she has shown a plucky willingness to take the crime novel into completely unexpected territory, and a sure-fire grasp of how to unsettle the reader. Bauer aficionados need not hesitate; she's on typically scabrous form here.

Oh my, this is a clever, chilling, and penetrating read...I simply couldn’t put it down. With sharply spiked claws that hook into your mind and don't let go, The Beautiful Dead is a heart pounding and captivating read.

Belinda Bauer used to be a screenwriter and it shows in the fast pace and mounting tension that makes The Beautiful Dead a book you’ll read in one go with all the lights blazing after you’ve made sure every door is locked.

No one writes books like Belinda Bauer, who just gets better and better.

...this all too believable thriller is fast-paced, taut and super scary

Belinda Bauer is probably Britain's most original crime writer.

...polished and breathtakingly tense, this novel of obsession and murder takes a firm grip from the start

I have read serial killer-yarns that are more frightening but few as entertaining or, in its low-key way, as moving.

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 . . . 
__________ 
 
Praise for THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD: 
 
'Evocative and disturbing' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door 
'Excellent tension' The Times 
'Spectacular' Sunday Times

The Shut Eye

The exhilarating crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Snap

One hundred and twenty days ago, the door had been left open . . . 
 
The Shut Eye is the astonishing new crime novel from Belinda Bauer, twice winner of Crime Novelist of the Year.

The most polished crime writer on the murder beat . . . Exhausting, exhilarating and damn scary

'Belinda Bauer is a marvel. Her novels are almost indecently gripping and enjoyable, and The Shut Eye is possibly her best yet

One of the most individual of crime writers . . . Bauer is streets ahead of most of her rivals

A twisty, fast-paced plot that kept me on tenterhooks

An intricate plot, extremely moving in some places - Bauer's ability to get under the skins of her characters is second to none

So much more than an simple whodunit - a clever, sophisticated modern crime novel

Belinda Bauer is disconcerting. She follows none of the usual formulae governing crime fiction, defies easy labelling and sees deeper than most into people's emotions.

Nobody scares me quite like Belinda Bauer

Bauer's novels are among life's pure pleasures. Her assured style and uncanny knack for capturing the quirks of human nature make her one of the stand-out writers of her genre. Clever, dark, insightful and not just a little bit funny.

ALEX MARWOOD, author of The Wicked Girls and The Killer Next Door

Magical writing from a maestro of surprises

One of the best crime writers in the country

Absorbing . . . refreshingly unconventional

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' *****

The Facts of Life and Death

The exceptional new crime novel from Belinda Bauer, the award-winning author of Rubbernecker. 
EVERY KILLER HAS TO START SOMEWHERE . . .

Bauer at her best . . . the true heir to the great Ruth Rendell

A new Belinda Bauer always goes straight to the top of my to-be-read pile. She's the most interesting crime writer in England today

She writes so beautifully, plots so cleverly and exhibits a razor-sharp understanding of people and places

This gripping, unsettling tale blends a murder mystery with a blackly comic look at the gradual erosion of 'normal' family life.  You won't want to put it down

Lingers in the mind like an unwelcome guest, albeit one with a dark sense of humour . . . powerful, compelling reading

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' &#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088; 
'One of my favourite crime novels of all time' &#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088; 
'Absorbing from start to finish, a cracking read!' &#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088;

The sensational thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Finders Keepers

Prepare to be gripped and chilled, with the sensational new novel from this award-winning crime writer

Surprise, of course, is the most potent aspect of suspense. And Belinda Bauer knows exactly how to manipulate that element, right until the very end. What's more, she's shown, not just how to keep surprise bubbling explosively away, but to do it with extraordinary dexterity, maturity and feeling

Compelling... Bauer blends a psychological crime story with a darkly humorous narrative... I can't wait for the next one!

Belinda Bauer's third book represents a remarkable achievement: almost a return to the good old Victorian triple-decker novel of suspense, but created with a deftness that allows each book to stand alone.

She's a thriller queen... The woman most likely to lead the fightback against the Scandinavian crime-wave

Bauer is not occupied by writing a "crime story" - although there is a crime at the heart of it - she is more interested in writing a novel

Finders Keepers has an enjoyably creepy premise... But it's the book's humour that really shines. Bauer reveals her Gold Dagger-winning writing credentials in her neat skewering of everyday pomposities and her wry asides

Belinda Bauer hit the big time with the excellent Blacklands and continues to explore her theme of West Country cruelty and corruption, balancing the procedural and psychological aspects of crime. Once again she nails the petty grievances, prejudices and loyalties of village life, and shows how some law enforcers operate at the outer edge of competence

Bauer has established a reputation for plunging her characters into unimaginable gore. Her third novel easily matches her previous efforts, exposing village bobby Jonas Holly...to events unprecedented in British crime fiction. The British countryside has never appeared so alien or so macabre

One of the leading names in crime fiction

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' *****

Crash

Belinda Bauer

This highly imaginative and gloriously written novel is packed with memorable characters, most of them misfits. This is literary crime writing at its best.

Belinda Bauer is a genius - she can turn any idea into a solid gold, suspenseful, immersive and intriguing story. This could be her best ever.

Fans of Bauer know to expect something original from this most ingenious of crime writers. . . a funny, moving and beautifully written tale of misfits and oological obsession.

Bauer (Exit) tugs at the heartstrings in this extraordinary literary mystery that unfolds across intersecting timelines . . . It’s another winner from an impressively versatile writer.

Suspenseful, charming . . . [Bauer] is a sympathetic, playful writer, and she populates her book with as colorful an array of characters as you could hope for . . . Very exciting.

‘A funny, moving and beautifully written tale’ Guardian 
 
On a summer’s evening in 1926, six-year-old Celie Shepherd is hungry and desperate and not where a six-year-old should be. Instead she is dangling from a cliff, far above the sea, reaching out to pocket an impossibly beautiful thing. 
 
This bold theft will change the course of Celie’s life, and the lives of others. 
 
One hundred years later, a house is ransacked. The only thing missing: a dusty case containing that same impossible thing. 
 
What could conceivably be so important that it is stolen again and again (and perhaps yet again . . . )? 
 
So begins this extraordinary mystery from award-winning Belinda Bauer. 
 
A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skulduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer’s status as one of our greatest living crime writers. 
 
'An exciting contemporary whodunnit' Times Literary Supplement 
 
'Extraordinary. There's a deceptive simplicity to The Impossible Thing that packs a real punch.' ANN CLEEVES 
 
‘The gift of The Impossible Thing is the pure joy of reading.’ VAL MCDERMID 
 
'Solid gold. . . This could be her best ever.' LEE CHILD 
 
‘A captivating novel from one of the UK’s most talented storytellers. I loved every page of this unique mystery.’ CLARE MACKINTOSH 
 
'[A] suspenseful, charming mystery.' New York Times ('best thrillers of of 2025') 
 
PRAISE FOR BELINDA BAUER: 
 
'As good as Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . . . and with more twists and coils than a hangman's noose.' Sunday Express on Rubbernecker 
 
‘Few writers who convey so well the essential sadness of life do so with such warmth and wit’ Sunday Telegraph 
 
‘Belinda Bauer’s fiction teems with life. She’s also an ingenious creator, never afraid to improve on reality.’ Daily Telegraph 
 
‘Belinda Bauer has shifted the boundaries of what makes a truly gripping, terrifying thriller.’ Daily Mirror

Belinda Bauer

Praise for The Impossible Thing

This highly imaginative and gloriously written novel is packed with memorable characters, most of them misfits. This is literary crime writing at its best.

Extraordinary

Belinda Bauer is a genius - she can turn any idea into a solid gold, suspenseful, immersive and intriguing story. This could be her best ever.

This highly imaginative and gloriously written novel is packed with memorable characters, most of them misfits. This is literary crime writing at its best.

Extraordinary

Belinda Bauer is a genius - she can turn any idea into a solid gold, suspenseful, immersive and intriguing story. This could be her best ever.

This highly imaginative and gloriously written novel is packed with memorable characters, most of them misfits. This is literary crime writing at its best.

Extraordinary

Belinda Bauer is a genius - she can turn any idea into a solid gold, suspenseful, immersive and intriguing story. This could be her best ever.

Books by Belinda Bauer

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