Fragile

From Sarah Hilary, winner of the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, comes a standalone thriller about loneliness, desire, passion and revenge.Fragile is a modern Gothic psychological thriller with a contemporary twist on the classic novel Rebecca, from critically acclaimed crime writer Sarah Hilary.Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperately trying to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.But her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees he is hiding secrets of his own.But is Nell's arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be - and how easily they can be to break.Praise for Fragile: "Sarah Hilary has always known how to chill her readers - Fragile dials the chill factor up to 11." Val McDermid"Absolutely stunning... I was gripped by Fragile, it took me into a whole other world and I was sorry to leave it." Marian Keyes"A dark, mesmeric fever-dream of a book." Ruth Ware, author of The Woman in Cabin 10 "Perfectly plotted, beautifully written modern Gothic. Timeless, tense and tender, Fragile will worm it's way deep into your heart, just as the characters insinuate themselves into each other's lives. I absolutely loved it." Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said "Beautifully written modern gothic. I took my time with this, savouring it - the tone of Sarah Hilary's writing is unique to her: exploring society and human nature in a sensitive, engrossing way. Ingenious, original and brilliant." Will Dean, author of Red Snow "An immersive psychological thriller that plunges us into an underworld of emotional and physical exploitation. There are shades of Highsmith." Andrew Taylor, author of The American Boy and The Ashes of London "A fever dream. A nightmarish slant on the world delivered expertly and with heart. Tension like cold steel. Characters you won't forget. Sarah Hilary is a modern-day Highsmith." Steve Cavanagh, author of The Thirteen "A beguiling thriller of considerable ambition and ingenuity, Fragile marks Sarah Hilary as a twenty-first century du Maurier, a writer who plunges the depths of human nature, finding the darkest, most deviant corners, but also the fleeting hopes and brittle aspirations. This is a truly outstanding work of modern gothic." Eva Dolan, author of Between Two Evils "Highly original, beautifully written." Sharon Bolton, author of the Split "Sarah Hilary has created a beautifully written modern Gothic masterpiece, so full of intrigue and mysteries layered upon mysteries that the unravelling may well shred your nerves, in the best way possible." Liz Nugent, author of Skin Deep "The writing is so elegant, so restrained, that it brings to mind Patricia Highsmith. Fragile is a very fine, and very creepy psychological thriller." Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane "A gorgeously written, tense and atmospheric novel. Sarah Hilary peels back the layers of mystery so skillfully that it was impossible to look away for a moment." Gytha Lodge, author of She Lies in Wait