Debbie Howells

After a girl is murdered in an idyllic English village, Kate becomes obsessed with uncovering the secrets behind the crime.

The Bones of You

"[A] haunting and heartbreaking new psychological thriller about a man thrust into the middle of a murder investigation, forced to confront the secrets of his ex-lover's past...Set in a borderland where the past casts its shadow on the present, with a time-shifting narrative that will mesmerize and surprise, "The Beauty of the End" is both a masterpiece of suspense and a powerful rumination on lost love."--

The Beauty of the End

A heartbreaking, life-affirming novel for fans of Mhairi McFarlane's Last Night and Holly Miller's The Sight of You. Two strangers. One missed flight. It only takes a moment to change a life. One year ago Casey Cassidy was happy. She had great friends, a wonderful teaching job and a busy life - until with one missed flight, everything changes. One year later Casey knows what it means to find that once-in-a-lifetime love people dream of. But when Ben leaves, her heart is shattered. Left facing a year of firsts without him, piecing her life back together seems impossible. But then a friend offers her a home in rural France. In the solitude and emptiness, Casey needs to comes to terms with what’s happened and find a way to move forward. She has no idea where that will take her one year later...

A breathtaking story of love, loss and happiness from Sunday Times bestseller Debbie Howells

The Life You Left Behind

Pre-order the brand new page-turner from the bestselling author of The Life You Left Behind. 'When the world says “give up”, hope whispers, “try it one more time”.’ Callie’s always been the least ambitious of her sisters but also the happiest, until fate snaps her fiance before they can say I do. One year later, she is still putting her life back together, but she might be ready for more. With so much life left to live, she has to find a way to be happy. Nathan knows not everyone gets a second chance at life and he’s not going to waste his. He’s left the city behind, moved to Cornwall and is starting over. When he meets a beautiful woman at the beach it feels like fate, but her heart belongs to someone else. Could Callie and Nathan be just what the other needs?

The Shape of Your Heart

The Death of Her is a haunting psychological thriller from Debbie Howells, author of the bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club success The Bones of You. A woman's body is discovered on a Cornish farm, battered and left for dead in a maize field. Airlifted to hospital, her life hanging in the balance, no one's sure who she is. Three days later she comes round, but her memory is damaged. She knows her name - Evie - but no more, until she remembers another name. Angel - her three-year-old daughter. As the police circulate Evie's photo, someone recognizes her. Charlotte knew her years ago, at school, when another child went missing. Leah Danning, who vanished whilst in Evie's care. When the police search Evie's home, there's no sign of Angel. More disturbingly, there's no evidence that she ever lived there, forcing the police to question whether Evie's having some kind of breakdown. But even from the darkest place she's ever known, Evie believes her daughter is alive. The police remain unconvinced - unaware that on the fringes of Evie's life, there's someone else. Someone hidden, watching her every move, with their own agenda and their own twisted version of reality.

The Death of Her

Wildflowers

Everyone has secrets. But some are more dangerous than others.The Bones of You is a gripping psychological thriller from author Debbie Howells; a story of full of dark secrets, obsession and suspense.I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer.Children who don't die before their parents.When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.PRAISE FOR THE BONES OF YOU"A brilliantly twisty read that delves deep into the dark heart of the seemingly perfect family. Recommended."Tammy Cohen"Suspenseful and poignant" Publishers Weekly"Utterly compelling and addictive. A memorable debut" Samantha Hayes, bestselling author of Until You're Mine

From the international bestselling author of The Bones of You comes a haunting and heartbreaking new psychological thriller about the distorted nature of reality, the unreliability of memory, and the enduring power of a mother's love. A blighted memory. A child who seems never to have existed. A watcher in the shadows. When they find Evie Sherman, battered and left for dead in a maize field, the young woman has no recollection of who she is. After three days in a hospital bed, the fog in her head begins to lift, and she remembers two names: her own, and that of her three-year-old daughter, Angel. Evie is convinced that Angel is in grave danger. But the police can find no evidence of the girl's existence. It's clear that Evie is having some kind of mental breakdown--or is it? Even in the depths of her amnesiac darkness, Evie knows her daughter's voice, her chameleon eyes, every precious hair on her head. So how can she be losing her mind? As Evie's grasp on reality slips away, she finds herself haunted by the same three-word warning, which she hears over and over: Trust no one. But whom is she being warned against? The police? The doctors and nurses? Or the mysterious figure who's been watching her, who knows all her secrets, has a hidden agenda--and perhaps their own twisted version of reality. Praise for the novels of Debbie Howells "A terrific new talent." --New York Times bestselling author Peter James "An intriguing dark psychological thriller--truly brilliant!" --Lisa Jackson "Has been compared to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. Unusual and haunting." --Library Journal "Creepy-delicious...a super-quick read, good domestic suspense with a bit of woo-woo. The English village setting was an extra perk!" --Liz French, Senior Editor, LJ Reviews "Heartbreaking yet utterly compelling...a memorable debut." --Sam Hayes, author of Blood Ties "A brilliantly twisty read that delves deep into the dark heart of the seemingly perfect family." --Tammy Cohen, author of First One Missing "A combination of lyrical writing and smart mystery. It's a winner." --Sandra Block, author of The Girl Without a Name "An intelligent thriller.... Written with heart and real depth, and with some real hand-over-mouth moments." --Rachael Lucas, author of Coming Up Roses "Compelling...Howells has a knack for conveying authentic emotion." --Publishers Weekly

Part of the Silence

Bones of You

Her Sister's Lie is a stunning psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Bones of You, Debbie Howells. Two sisters. A terrible secret. The ultimate revenge. Hannah and her sister Nina were once close. But they’ve not been in touch for years when Hannah learns of her sister’s death. Now Hannah is left with the care of Nina’s teenage son Abe, and the memory of the appalling secret that drove the two sisters apart . . . Bringing Abe into her home, Hannah finds him a difficult houseguest. Sullen, rude and uncooperative, Hannah tries to be understanding – after all, he’s a grieving boy. But when sinister things begin to happen, Hannah is forced to confront the possibility that Abe might also be dangerous. How much does Abe know? And just how far is Hannah prepared to go to protect her secret?

The Chilling Page-turner from the Author of Richard and Judy Bestseller, The Bones of You

Her Sister's Lie

«Uno di quei libri che ti catturano dalla prima all’ultima pagina.» L’editore Un grande thriller I segreti più oscuri si nascondono nei luoghi più belli «Un debutto sconvolgente e misterioso.» Daily Mail Quando Rosie Anderson, una ragazza di appena diciotto anni, scompare, la cittadina idilliaca dove viveva non è più la stessa. Kate, la giardiniera del posto, è scossa e tormentata dal senso di colpa. Conosceva bene Rosie e, negli ultimi tempi, forse era arrivata a conoscerla anche meglio della madre. Rosie era bella, buona e gentile. Veniva da una famiglia amorevole e aveva tutta la vita davanti a sé. Chi avrebbe mai voluto farle del male? E perché? Kate è convinta che la polizia non stia valutando tutti gli indizi. Di sicuro qualcuno in paese sa più di quel che dice. Via via che le ricerche del colpevole vanno avanti, Kate è sempre più ossessionata dalla soluzione del mistero... Un thriller psicologico avvincente e una storia piena di segreti oscuri, ossessione e suspense. Tutti hanno dei segreti ma alcuni sono più pericolosi di altri Una cittadina in stato di shock. Una famiglia lacerata. Chi nasconde la verità? «Un esordio imperdibile e di grande suspense.» Publishers Weekly «Un thriller dall’effetto ipnotico.» Daily Mail «Uno di quei libri che vi catturano dalla prima pagina, vi stringono e non vi lasciano andare. Ho assaporato ogni parola, personaggio e dettaglio psicologico. Davvero fantastico!» Lisa Jackson, autrice bestseller del New York Times Debbie Howells In passato ha studiato psicologia, è stata un’istruttrice di volo, la proprietaria di un negozio di fiori, e attualmente scrive a tempo pieno. Il suo thriller d’esordio, La donna silenziosa, è stato un successo di critica e di pubblico e i diritti di traduzione sono stati venduti a cifre molto alte in numerosi Paesi. Debbie vive nel West Sussex con la sua famiglia.

La donna silenziosa

‘Everyone has secrets. And now, one of mine is yours...’

The Secret

When they find Evie Sherman left for dead in a maize field, the young woman has no recollection of who she is. But after three days in a hospital bed, she remembers two names: her own, and that of her three-year-old daughter, Angel. The police can find no evidence of the girl’s existence. But Evie knows her daughter’s voice, her chameleon eyes, every precious hair on her head—and that Angel is in grave danger. So how can she be losing her mind? As Evie’s grasp on reality slips away, she’s haunted by the same three-word warning: Trust no one. But who can’t she trust? The police? The doctors and nurses? Or the mysterious figure who’s been watching her, who knows all her secrets, and is ready to step out of the silence . . . Praise for Debbie Howells and Her Novels “A combination of lyrical writing and smart mystery. It's a winner.” —Sandra Block on The Beauty of the End “An intriguing dark psychological thriller—truly brilliant!” —Lisa Jackson on The Bones of You “Has been compared to Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. Unusual and haunting.” —Library Journal on The Bones of You

A totally brilliant, escapist and uplifting read that will break your heart and put it back together again, perfect for fans of Cathy Kelly, Jill Mansell and Debbie Macomber. I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love... But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend’s wedding flowers because – in her words – ‘how hard can it be, Frankie?’. The answer is actually ‘very hard’ but it’s not the only thing that’s tough right now. My boyfriend won’t commit, I barely have a job, and once again I have the hangover from hell... What I don’t know is that life’s about to throw me a curveball. A new friend I will make with a beautiful, sad-eyed little boy who is so very tragically ill. I still don’t know about that heartbreak. Even so, in this moment, I know that it’s time for some changes. Maybe it’s time to make my dreams come true? To try to become a marathon-running, healthy-living, wildly-in-love florist-to-the-stars! Because I’m beginning to realise that you only get one chance at life. I don’t yet know how you change everything, all at once, but what I do know is it all starts with me... Previously published as Wildflowers by Debbie Howells.

A heartbreaking, uplifting read from Debbie Howells for summer 2023

It All Started With You

A heartbreaking, life-affirming novel for fans of Mhairi McFarlane's Last Night and Holly Miller's The Sight of You. Two strangers. One missed flight. It only takes a moment to change a life. One year ago Casey Cassidy was happy. She had great friends, a wonderful teaching job and a busy life - until with one missed flight, everything changes. One year later Casey knows what it means to find that once-in-a-lifetime love people dream of. But when Ben leaves, her heart is shattered. Left facing a year of firsts without him, piecing her life back together seems impossible. But then a friend offers her a home in rural France. In the solitude and emptiness, Casey needs to comes to terms with what's happened and find a way to move forward. She has no idea where that will take her one year later ...

Living aimlessly in a cottage in the English countryside, Noah, an ex-lawyer who dabbles in armchair criminal psychology, is haunted by the memory of a former fiancé he has loved since childhood, whose name he endeavors to clear in the wake of a drug overdose and murder accusations.

After being left for dead, Evie Sherman only remembers her own name and her daughter, Angel, whom she believes is in grave danger, and with the warning phrase "Trust no one" stuck in her head, she navigates the uncertainty of her mind in hopes of determining what happened to her.

The emotional, powerful and life-affirming novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author. 'The story was heartbreaking, romantic and uplifting all at the same time' Two strangers. One missed flight. It only takes a moment to change a life. One year ago Casey Cassidy was happy. She had great friends, a wonderful teaching job and a busy life - until with one missed flight, everything changes. One year later Casey knows what it means to find that once-in-a-lifetime love people dream of. But when Ben leaves, her heart is shattered. Left facing a year of firsts without him, piecing her life back together seems impossible. But then a friend offers her a home in rural France. In the solitude and emptiness, Casey needs to come to terms with what's happened and find a way to move forward. She has no idea where that will take her one year later...

“An intriguing dark psychological thriller—truly brilliant!” --Lisa Jackson A stunning, wonderfully assured psychological thriller that evokes Gillian Flynn and Alice Sebold, The Bones of You revolves around a young girl’s murder and one woman’s obsession with uncovering the secrets in an idyllic English village. I have a gardener’s inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft‑petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer. Children who don’t die before their parents. When Kate receives a phone call with news that Rosie Anderson is missing, she’s stunned and disturbed. Rosie is eighteen, the same age as Kate’s daughter, and a beautiful, quiet, and kind young woman. Though the locals are optimistic—girls like Rosie don’t get into real trouble—Kate’s sense of foreboding is confirmed when Rosie is found fatally beaten and stabbed. Who would kill the perfect daughter, from the perfect family? Yet the more Kate entwines herself with the Andersons—graceful mother Jo, renowned journalist father Neal, watchful younger sister Delphine—the more she is convinced that not everything is as it seems. Anonymous notes arrive, urging Kate to unravel the tangled threads of Rosie’s life and death, though she has no idea where they will lead. Weaving flashbacks from Rosie’s perspective into a tautly plotted narrative, The Bones of You is a gripping, haunting novel of sacrifices and lies, desperation and love. “In British author Howells’s suspenseful and poignant debut...the increasingly tense storytelling and astute observations on mother-daughter relationships will keep readers turning the pages.” –Publishers Weekly

Debbie Howells

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