Paula Daly

Lisa is an overwhelmed and exhausted mother of three. So she completely forgets that her daughter's friend was supposed to sleep over--until she finds out the girl has gone missing.

Just What Kind of Mother Are You?

Returning home from a family emergency overseas, Natty Wainwright discovers her husband in love with her best friend, Eve, who was helping out in her absence, and receives a mysterious note indicating that her former friend is a lethal serial mistress. 25,000 first printing.

Keep Your Friends Close

"First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Bantam Press"--Title page verso.

The Mistake I Made

'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

Open Your Eyes

First published in Great Britain: Bantam Press, 2017.

The Trophy Child

'A clever and original thriller. Highly absorbing and full of surprises' Lesley Kara, bestselling author of THE RUMOUR ********** 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. ********** 'Emotional, twisty and a joy to read. It deserves to be a huge bestseller.' Mark Edwards 'Loved it - twisty, turny and as brilliant as ever!' Jill Mansell 'The UK's answer to Liane Moriarty. Amazing.' Claire McGowan 'Compelling concept, kick-ass characterisation and a gut punch of a sting in the tale.' LV Hay

Clear My Name

'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, bestselling author of WHEN YOU SEE ME 'The UK's answer to Liane Moriarty. Amazing.' Claire McGowan, bestselling author of THE OTHER WIFE ********** 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. ********** 'Emotional, twisty and a joy to read. It deserves to be a huge bestseller.' Mark Edwards, author of HERE TO STAY 'A clever and original thriller. Highly absorbing and full of surprises.' Lesley Kara, bestselling author of THE RUMOUR Readers love CLEAR MY NAME: ***** 'Another brilliant story by Paula Daly.' ***** 'Sheer perfection.' ***** 'I loved this book.' ***** 'Enthralling, thought-provoking and gripping.'

a compelling, twisty thriller that you won’t be able to put down

We all think we know who we are. What weâe(tm)re capable of. Roz is a single mother, a physiotherapist, a sister, a friend. Sheâe(tm)s also desperate. Her business has gone under, sheâe(tm)s crippled by debt and sheâe(tm)s just had to explain to her son why someoneâe(tm)s taken all their furniture away. But now a stranger has made her an offer. For one night with her, heâe(tm)ll pay enough to bring her back from the edge. Roz has a choice to make.

"Haven't we all wanted to pretend everything's perfectly fine? Jane Campbell avoids confrontation at all costs. Given the choice, she'll always let her husband, Leon--a bestselling thriller author--fight their battles. She'd prefer to focus on the good things in life: precious days with her two young children, a steady and loving marriage, their mischievously playful cat Bonita, and her fulfilling job as a creative writing teacher. In Jane's eyes, life is altogether sweeter than any individual bump in the road. But when Leon suffers a brutal attack in the driveway of their home, in front of their children, Jane has to finally face reality. Who would commit such a hateful offense in broad daylight? Leon has imagined his fair share of crime on the page, and now this unthinkable violence has landed on the Campbell family doorstep. With her husband in a coma, Jane must open her eyes to the problems in her life, as well as the secrets that have been kept from her. Although she might not like what she sees, if she's committed to discovering who hurt her husband--and why--Jane needs to take matters into her own hands. A surprising and gripping thriller of literary ambition and envy, from acclaimed novelist Paula Daly, Open Your Eyes exposes an ordinary suburban family to a shocking act of revenge that irreparably changes their lives" --

Open your eyes

There's nothing quite like a mother's love . . . but how much is too much before maternal ambition for a perfect child jeopardizes the delicate balance of family life and threatens its very existence? Paula Daly is acclaimed for her distinctive voice, masterful plotting and terrifying depictions of ordinary people whose everyday lives are turned upside down through deception and betrayal. In her unsettling new domestic thriller, The Trophy Child, Daly digs beneath the serene surface of the idyllic Lake District community, delivering a suspenseful story of motherhood and fallibility. Karen Bloom is not the coddling mother type. She believes in raising her children for success. Some in the neighborhood call her assertive, others say she's driven, but in gossiping circles she's known as "the tiger mother." Karen believes that tough discipline is the true art of parenting and that achievement leads to ultimate happiness. She expects her husband and her children to perform at 200 percent--no matter the cost. But in the midst of her quest for excellence, her seemingly flawless family starts to rebel against her. Her husband, Noel, is a handsome doctor with a proclivity for alcohol and women. Their prodigy daughter, Bronte, is excelling at school, music lessons and dance classes, yet she longs to run away. Verity, Noel's teenage daughter from his first marriage, is starting to display aggressive behavior. And Karen's son from a previous relationship embraces the aimless stoner lifestyle. When tragedy strikes the Blooms, Karen's carefully constructed facade begins to fall apart--and once the deadly cracks appear, they are impossible to stop. A thrilling tale of ambition and murder, Daly's richly imagined world of suburban striving and motherly love is an absorbing page-turner about the illusions of perfection and the power games between husband and wife, parent and child.

"'Fiendishly addictive' GUARDIAN Your best friend isn't who you think she is. b> ou'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. b> b>But your best friend isn't who you think she is. You're about to find out just how wrong you were."

A searing and sinister thriller for readers who loved Gone Girl. What if your best friend's child disappears? And it is all your fault. This is exactly what happens to Lisa Kallisto, overwhelmed working mother of three, one freezing December. She takes her eye off the ball for just a moment and her whole world descends into the stuff of nightmares. Not only is thirteen-year-old Lucinda missing, and not only is it all Lisa's fault, but she's the second teenage girl to disappear within this small tightknit community over two weeks. The first girl turned up stripped bare, dumped on a busy high street, after suffering from a terrifying ordeal. Wracked with guilt over her mistake and after being publicly blamed by Lucinda's family, Lisa sets out to right the wrong. As she begins peeling away the layers surrounding Lucinda's disappearance, Lisa learns that the small, posh, quiet town she lives in isn't what she thought it was, and her friends may not be who they appear, either.

Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated

A rising star in domestic suspense broadens her canvas in a brilliant new thriller in which a woman convicted of murdering her husband's lover waits to be exonerated by a female investigator battling her own dark past

'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!*

a twisty and unputdownable domestic thriller

A new fast-paced, psychological thriller from the author of Just What Kind of Mother Are You? and Keep Your Friends Close. 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.

From the acclaimed author of The Trophy Child comes a “superbly sinister” domestic thriller of false friendship and deadly betrayal (Mystery Scene). When her daughter falls ill while on a school trip overseas, Natty rushes to be by her side. And she’s so relieved to have a friend like Eve, who offers to help her husband around the house in her absence. But when Natty returns home she discovers that Eve has taken to family life a little too well—and Sean has fallen in love with her. Confronted with the fact that her marriage wasn’t as rock-solid as she thought, Natty attempts to put on a brave face and move forward. But no matter how hard she tries to pick herself up, her former friend is there to knock her down again. Then Natty receives an anonymous note that reveals Eve to be a serial mistress. She’s done this before—and the consequences were fatal. Now Natty must navigate through a treacherous maze of secrets that jeopardizes her life and the safety of her loved ones. “Absorbing” —Kirkus Reviews “[A] genuine gift for psychological nuance.” —Publishers Weekly “Daly’s affinity for psychological intrigue shines . . . It will have readers wondering just how well they know their friends, and how secure their lives are.” —Mystery Scene

A woman must face her husband’s secrets when he is suddenly attacked in this “superior domestic thriller” of envy and literary ambition (Publishers Weekly, starred review). A biracial couple with two young children, the Campbells face as many challenges as any family in Liverpool. But Jane tends to let her husband, Leon—a bestselling thriller writer—fight their battles. Averse to conflict, she prefers to focus on what seems to be going right: her two precious children; her occasionally rocky but still loving marriage; and while her manuscripts keep getting rejected, she enjoys teaching creative writing. But then Leon is brutally attacked in their own driveway, and Jane is forced to face reality. With Leon in a coma, Jane needs to take matters into her own hands—and open her eyes to the secrets that have been kept from her all this time. Suddenly, she sees her life in a shocking new light. But if she wants to find out who hurt her husband, she will have to pay attention to every unpleasant detail

An indecent proposal has fatal repercussions in this “hypnotic” thriller from the author of Keep Your Friends Close (Kirkus Reviews). Roz has reached her breaking point. Her marriage and business have both failed. And with debts racking up, she’s struggling to provide for her nine-year-old son, who is starting to misbehave in school. Then, at her sister’s fortieth birthday party, a perfect—albeit indecent—opportunity presents itself. Scott Elias is wealthy, powerful, and very married. But he wants Roz and he’s willing to pay for the privilege of her company. Offering cash in exchange for a no-strings-attached night of intimacy, Scott’s deal could clear Roz’s debts, get her life back on track, and maybe give her the chance to have some fun in the bargain. But as the situation spirals out of control, Roz is forced to do things she never thought herself capable of . . . “[Daly] has a real gift for mixing insightful writing on domestic life with a suspenseful premise.” —Booklist “Daly heats things up fast.” —Kirkus Reviews

Eine glückliche Ehe, zwei hinreißende Töchter und ein florierendes kleines Hotel im englischen Lake District: Natty und Sean Wainwright stehen auf der Sonnenseite des Lebens. Das Glück wird getrübt, als die jüngere Tochter auf der Klassenfahrt schwer erkrankt. Natty macht sich sofort auf den Weg nach Frankreich – nur gut, dass ihre beste Freundin Eve gerade zu Besuch ist und Sean in Nattys Abwesenheit unterstützen kann. Doch als Natty nach zwei Wochen zurückkehrt, erwartet sie ein Albtraum: Eve hat ihr den Mann ausgespannt und ihr Zuhause übernommen. Selbst ihre Töchter werden von Eve umgarnt. Natty ist fassungslos. Die einst so enge Frauenfreundschaft wandelt sich in nackten Hass – und ein mörderischer Zweikampf beginnt ...

Paula Daly

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