Charlotte Barnes

You don’t know what you’re looking for until you find it.

The Break Up

This psychological thriller takes you inside the mind of a fascinating character who lives a quiet life—with disturbing secrets hidden in memory lapses. M works in publishing and enjoys watching people. M also suffers from panic attacks and odd memory lapses. Lately, M has developed an intense relationship with Caleb, who lives across the street. The only trouble is Caleb doesn’t know M exists . . . When M starts to practice memory recall exercises, some of the things that bubble to the surface are surprising—even disturbing. As M begins to fill in the blind spots of the past, the truth sheds new light on this fascination with Caleb. Is M dangerous or just disturbed? One way or another, Caleb is about to find out . . .

A Tense Psychological Suspense Full of Twists

All I See Is You

A serial killer emerges from the past to stalk a witness in a harrowing novel of missteps and madness from the author of Intention and All I See Is You. When Sarah was seventeen years old, she hid in a wardrobe while her mother was murdered in the bedroom. As the weeks and months passed, Sarah gradually moved on from the horror of that night and managed to settle into her changed family life. After the police confirm that her mother was one of three similar victims the case goes cold. Until Sarah receives a letter: “I didn’t know you were there, or I would never have done that. Sincerely, Yours.” And, so begins a terrifying game of cat and mouse as the killer collects more victims and continues to elude police, all the while, sending Sarah letters. As the killer gets closer, Sarah wonders if she comes face to face with him, will she opt for mercy or murder? Praise for the novels of Charlotte Barnes “An addictive read . . . a really well written and enjoyable psychological thriller—highly recommended!!” —Donna’s Book Blog “Well written and smartly plotted with a fine array of characters and a thrilling story . . . Definitely an author to watch!” —Grace J Reviewerlady

A Breath-Taking Psychological Suspense Thriller

Sincerely, Yours

This holiday season, love is going off-script.

Celebrated advice columnist ‘Dear Dotty’ Ellison has made a name for herself by solving everyone else’s problems.

But she derails her seemingly perfect life when she unknowingly advises her girlfriend of ten years to break up with her. Through her own advice column.

Suddenly single, Dotty realises her life behind the picture-perfect brand isn’t as flawless as she thought. Determined to rediscover who she really is, she decides it’s time to learn how to take her own advice. She begins writing letters to herself through her column.

But when Dotty meets a gorgeous stranger at a cooking class, everything she thought she’d learned through her journey of self-discovery is thrown into question.

Now, with Christmas approaching, will Dotty discover that love and life aren’t something you can write, edit or schedule?

The breakup before Christmas 

A writer interrogates a woman who may or may not have killed her husband, in a taut tale of psychological suspense by the author of Sincerely, Yours. After twenty-five years in the remote English countryside, living under an assumed name, Erica Miller has decided it’s time for the world to hear her story—from her point of view, rather than from the tabloids or the gossips who think she got away with murder. She hires Prudence Carr to write about her privileged childhood, her marriage, the affairs, the day her husband disappeared, and the day his body was found in the marshes. Despite evidence against her, the jury refused to convict, leaving Erica to live a life of quiet isolation. Erica has a lot to say. But as the story unfolds, so does Prudence. It is clear that this project could make Prudence’s career. In this compelling novel of mystery and deceit, everything will depend on who gets the last word . . .

The Things I Didn't Do

A stunning debut psychological thriller, perfect for fans of domestic noir.

A Gripping Psychological Suspense Thriller

Intention

This book provides a critical discussion of True Crime literature, arguing for the deconstruction of the genre into subgenres that better reflect a work’s contents. In analysing seminal and lesser-known works, the areas of authenticity, accuracy, and author proximity are considered to form a framework on which an individual publication’s subgenre (re)categorisation can be assessed. The book considers the likes of Ann Rule, Truman Capote, and Maggie Nelson, among other notable authors. Their works – those that fit into True Crime and those that defy categorisation within the genre as it exists – are reviewed, and their defining features critiqued. Topics such as narrative methodologies, figurative language, and utilisation of research are considered in support of this. These strands combine to a larger discussion regarding a deconstruction of True Crime, and the ways in which this will improve the social responsibility of the genre, and encourage a more conscientious consumerism of it.

Deconstructing True Crime Literature

How do you solve a case when there isn't a crime scene? When DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate a video recording that surfaces in a local school, they realise that they have a complex case on their hands. When the recording is studied by the Medical Examiner, it becomes apparent the team are now faced with a gruesome recording of a murder. Over the course of several minutes, the killer administers drugs before suffocating a man on camera. With no known crime scene, the team have nothing more than the video evidence in front of them and face a challenge to identify both the victim and the killer. But when a suspect is discovered Melanie and her are up against a killer who is more evil than anyone could have imagined...

A Gripping Crime Thriller Full of Suspense and Mystery

The Watcher

You don't know what you're looking for until you find it.

A writer interrogates a woman who may or may not have killed her husband, in a taut tale of psychological suspense by the author of Sincerely, Yours. After twenty-five years in the remote English countryside, living under an assumed name, Erica Miller has decided it's time for the world to hear her story-from her point of view, rather than from the tabloids or the gossips who think she got away with murder. She hires Prudence Carr to write about her privileged childhood, her marriage, the affairs, the day her husband disappeared, and the day his body was found in the marshes. Despite evidence against her, the jury refused to convict, leaving Erica to live a life of quiet isolation. Erica has a lot to say. But as the story unfolds, so does Prudence. It is clear that this project could make Prudence's career. In this compelling novel of mystery and deceit, everything will depend on who gets the last word . . .

Meet DI Melanie Watton, who soon learns that imitation is the deadliest form of flattery in this page-turning crime thriller from the author of Intention. When the body of a young woman, Jenni Grantham, is found abandoned, DI Melanie Watton and her team are called to investigate. It soon becomes apparent that the murder, the method and the appearance of the victim, is something they have seen before. With the help of Medical Examiner George Waller, DI Watton uncovers the case history of Michael Richards—a local murderer who killed five women before turning himself in. Further investigations reveal that Jenni was recently reported missing by her parents. And when Jenni’s personal effects are explored, shocking discoveries are made about the victim’s fascination with the original killings. However, when the ME makes a surprise discovery, DI Watton realises that Jenni was perhaps not the only local with a fixation on these infamous killings. With a copycat killer on the loose, the team know it is only a matter of time before another body is discovered. But when a second victim is found, the team find themselves questioning everything they thought they knew . . . Praise for the novels of Charlotte Barnes “An addictive read . . . a really well written and enjoyable psychological thriller—highly recommended!!” —Donna’s Book Blog “Well written and smartly plotted with a fine array of characters and a thrilling story . . . Definitely an author to watch!” —Grace J Reviewerlady

The Copycat

This is going to hurt . . . A killer is playing a deadly game and DI Melanie Watton must win if she wants to survive—from the author of The Watcher. When DI Melanie Watton is called in to investigate the brutal murder of a taxidermist, she and her team find themselves tracking a killer and a thief. With very few leads to go on, the trail goes cold, until one of the missing taxidermy projects finally appears planted at another crime scene. The killer continues to leave clues and messages behind and the team soon realise they are in danger. And when one of the projects from the original scene turns up at Melanie’s door, she knows she’s the target. As Melanie gets closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is getting closer to her with each step . . . Praise for the novels of Charlotte Barnes “An addictive read . . . a really well written and enjoyable psychological thriller—highly recommended!!” —Donna’s Book Blog “Well written and smartly plotted with a fine array of characters and a thrilling story . . . Definitely an author to watch!” —Grace J Reviewerlady

The Cutter

DI Melanie Watton is faced with trying to solve a case with no crime scene in this edge-of-your-seat thriller from the author of The Copycat. When DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate a video recording that surfaces in a local school, they realise that they have a complex case on their hands. When the recording is studied by the Medical Examiner, it becomes apparent the team are now faced with a gruesome recording of a murder. Over the course of several minutes, the killer administers drugs before suffocating a man on camera. With no known crime scene, the team have nothing more than the video evidence in front of them and face a challenge to identify both the victim and the killer. But when a suspect is discovered Melanie and her team are up against a killer who is more evil than anyone could have imagined . . . Praise for the novels of Charlotte Barnes “An addictive read . . . a really well written and enjoyable psychological thriller—highly recommended!!” —Donna’s Book Blog “Well written and smartly plotted with a fine array of characters and a thrilling story . . . Definitely an author to watch!” —Grace J Reviewerlady

There are unmissable THREE mysteries in this great value boxset: Copycat, The Watcher, The Cutter Copycat: When the body of a young woman, Jenni Grantham, is found abandoned, DI Melanie Watton and her team are called to investigate. It soon becomes apparent that the murder, the method and the appearance of the victim, is something they have seen before. But when a second victim is found, the team find themselves questioning everything they thought they knew... The Watcher: How do you solve a case when there isn’t a crime scene? When DI Melanie Watton and her team are called in to investigate a video recording that surfaces in a local school, they realise that they have a complex case on their hands. But when a suspect is discovered Melanie and her team are up against a killer who is more evil than anyone could have imagined... The Cutter: This killer is playing a deadly game and DI Melanie Watton must win if she wants to survive. When DI Melanie Watton is called in to investigate the brutal murder of a taxidermist, she and her team find themselves tracking a killer and a thief. As Melanie gets closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is getting closer to her with each step... What readers are saying about The DI Melanie Watton Series: "fast-paced, engaging and dark." "Every chapter makes you NEED the next one." "Cracking crime thriller full of twists and turns." "Tense, clever and thought-provoking." "refreshing, well written and intriguing." "For readers who enjoy police procedurals that move with pace." "A gripping, page-turning thrillers!" Charlotte Barnes is also the author of the critically-acclaimed author of the psychological thriller, Intention. The DI Melanie Watton series is a gripping detective mystery series will appeal to fans of authors like Angela Marsons and Helen H. Durrant.

Charlotte Barnes

About

Books

Join the club