SJI Holliday

A twisty, chilling psychological thriller cum gothic ghost story set in a Victorian psychiatric home with a disturbing history, and someone set on revenge... LONGLISTED for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize Number One Bestseller in Ebook ’Cements Holliday’s position as one of the most gifted and entertaining psychological thriller writers in the business’ Steve Cavanagh ‘Saunters from creepy to genuinely terrifying ... I was completely unable to put it down’ Elizabeth Haynes ‘In the new wave of gothic novels, The Lingering is a stand-out triumph’ Eva Dolan ‘An atmospheric chiller of a book ... reminiscent of early James Herbert’ Fiona Cummins Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history. When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution... At once an unnerving mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre. 'Utterly beguiling and darkly sinister, this superb Gothic ghost tale is a brilliantly crafted rug puller’ Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine ‘A wonderful cross-over novel that ranges from taut psychological chiller to supernatural suspense ... Nail-biting stuff, superbly executed’ Sunday Times ‘Readers will find this contemporary gothic tale hard to put down’ Publishers Weekly ‘A thrilling, chilling, shocking tale, perfect if you take delight in an icy shiver scuttling down your spine’ LoveReading ‘Brilliantly chilling and perfectly paced’ Anna Mazzola ‘One of the most original ghost stories I have ever read’ Cass Green ‘Like Stephen King meets Thomas Harris’ Derek Farrell ‘A serious spine-chiller from an exceptional talent’ Chris Whitaker ‘Tense and chilling, with a creeping sense of unease’ Neil Broadfoot ‘Perfectly paced and guaranteed to cause you sleepless nights for all the right reasons. Fans of Susan Hill and Andrew Taylor, take note’ David Mark ‘Creepy, unsettling and all-consuming’ Jenny Blackhurst ‘Spooky, compelling and chilling’ Jane Isaac ‘Eerie and unsettling, with a bittersweet beauty’ Fergus McNeill ‘Unnerved me right from the start’ June Taylor ’A perfect winter read’ Lisa Gray ‘An unsettling tale of haunting ... that lingers in the mind’ Mason Cross ‘A relentlessly unnerving mystery – like shuffling footsteps from a long-locked attic’ Matt Wesolowski ‘Gets under your skin and stays there’ Quentin Bates ‘The story is at the same time a locked room mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and complex ghost story which has been described as both creepy and chilling’ Mystery People

The Lingering

He spots the two girls through the cracked screen of beech, sycamore and leg-scratching gorse: a flash of red skirt and a unison of giggles . . . The smaller girl sees him first and she lets out a strange little squeak and jumps back, grabbing onto the other girl’s T-shirt, revealing a flash of milky white shoulder. He grins. Something happened to Claire and Jo in Black Wood: something that left Claire paralysed and Jo with deep mental scars. But with Claire suffering memory loss and no evidence to be found, nobody believes Jo’s story. Twenty-three years later, a familiar face walks into the bookshop where Jo works, dredging up painful memories and rekindling her desire for vengeance. And at the same time, Sergeant David Gray is investigating a balaclava-clad man who is attacking women on a disused railway, shocking the sleepy village of Banktoun. But what is the connection between Jo’s visitor and the masked man? To catch the assailant, and to give Jo her long-awaited justice, Gray must unravel a tangled web of past secrets, broken friendship and tainted love. But can he crack the case before Jo finds herself with blood on her hands? REVIEWS ‘A deliciously dark thriller with a shocking secret at its heart’ Fergus McNeill, author ofEye Contact ‘A dark, chilling read that moves fast and builds to a brilliant climax. Superb.’ Steve Cavanagh, author ofThe Defence ‘In her atmospheric debut, Holliday effectively and spookily evokes small-town claustrophobia and backbiting. An edgy and authentic new voice in crime fiction.’ Anya Lipska, author ofWhere the Devil Can’t Go ‘A fast-paced and chilling psychological thriller from an exciting new talent. If you liked Broadchurch, you’ll love this.’ Mark Edwards and Louise Voss, authors ofFrom The Cradle ‘Darkly atmospheric and utterly absorbing.’ Jane Isaac, author ofThe Truth Will Out ‘A plot which weaves and twists its way around a tight-knit community... [where] old sins return to haunt some damaged people and the atmosphere is thick with unspoken dread... You won’t read a more shocking, or satisfying, thriller this year.’ James Benmore, author ofDodger ‘A deeply unsettling story of bad deeds, complex loyalties and secrets better left buried,Black Woodis a thrilling debut which grips from the very first page and doesn’t let go.’ Eva Dolan, author ofLong Way Home ‘Holliday has a knack for creating fascinating, well-observed, and sometimes quirky characters.Black Woodis dark and twisty with a creepy atmosphere that pervades this compelling tale from first page to last. I was gripped. A fantastic new voice on the block.’ Amanda Jennings, author ofThe Judas Scar ‘Hugely satisfying twists and great characterisation, creepy and astute.’ Sarah Hilary, author ofSomeone Else’s Skin ‘A chilling exploration of the darkness that can hide in even the smallest of communities. A superb debut.’ David Jackson, author ofThe Helper ‘I was drawn intoBlack Wood- drip-fed with intrigue, mystery and menace. It has an absorbing storyline with interesting and engaging characters. An exciting debut novel.’ Mel Sherratt, author ofWatching Over You

A deliciously dark thriller with a shocking secret at its heart

Black Wood

DIVA twisty, chilling psychological thriller cum gothic ghost story set in a Victorian psychiatric home with a disturbing history, and someone set on revenge… LONGLISTED for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize Number One Bestseller in Ebook 'Cements Holliday's position as one of the most gifted and entertaining psychological thriller writers in the business' Steve Cavanagh ‘Saunters from creepy to genuinely terrifying … I was completely unable to put it down' Elizabeth Haynes ‘In the new wave of gothic novels, The Lingering is a stand-out triumph' Eva Dolan ‘An atmospheric chiller of a book … reminiscent of early James Herbert' Fiona Cummins Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history. When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution… At once an unnerving mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre. 'Utterly beguiling and darkly sinister, this superb Gothic ghost tale is a brilliantly crafted rug puller' Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine ‘A wonderful cross-over novel that ranges from taut psychological chiller to supernatural suspense … Nail-biting stuff, superbly executed' Sunday Times ‘Readers will find this contemporary gothic tale hard to put down' Publishers Weekly ‘A thrilling, chilling, shocking tale, perfect if you take delight in an icy shiver scuttling down your spine' LoveReading ‘Brilliantly chilling and perfectly paced' Anna Mazzola ‘One of the most original ghost stories I have ever read' Cass Green ‘Like Stephen King meets Thomas Harris' Derek Farrell ‘A serious spine-chiller from an exceptional talent' Chris Whitaker ‘Tense and chilling, with a creeping sense of unease' Neil Broadfoot ‘Perfectly paced and guaranteed to cause you sleepless nights for all the right reasons. Fans of Susan Hill and Andrew Taylor, take note' David Mark ‘Creepy, unsettling and all-consuming' Jenny Blackhurst ‘Spooky, compelling and chilling' Jane Isaac ‘Eerie and unsettling, with a bittersweet beauty' Fergus McNeill ‘Unnerved me right from the start' June Taylor 'A perfect winter read' Lisa Gray ‘An unsettling tale of haunting … that lingers in the mind' Mason Cross ‘A relentlessly unnerving mystery – like shuffling footsteps from a long-locked attic' Matt Wesolowski ‘Gets under your skin and stays there' Quentin Bates ‘The story is at the same time a locked roo

***INTRODUCTORY OFFER PRICE When the past catches up, do you run and hide or stand and fight? When a woman is brutally attacked on a lonely country road by an escaped inmate from a nearby psychiatric hospital, Sergeant Davie Gray must track him down before he strikes again. But Gray is already facing a series of deaths connected to legal highs and a local fairground, as well as dealing with his girlfriend Marie's bizarre behaviour. As Gray investigates the crimes, he suspects a horrifying link between Marie and the man on the run – but how can he confront her when she's pushing him away? As a terrified Marie is pulled back into a violent past she thought she'd escaped, she makes an irrevocable decision. And when events come to a head at a house party on Willow Walk, can Gray piece together the puzzle in time to stop the sleepy town of Banktoun being rocked by tragedy once more? PRAISE FOR WILLOW WALK "Unflinching attention to detail lifts Holliday’s inventive and compelling second Banktoun novel to a whole new level." – THE SUN, 4-stars "A compelling tale of obsession and dark secrets that grips you from the first chapter and holds you right through to the startling and dramatic conclusion." – AVA MARSH, author of Untouchable "Chillingly nuanced, pulse-poundingly suspenseful, and totally unputdownable." – CrimeThrillerGirl "The kind of book I adore discovering, one that stays with me long after I’ve finished." – JENNY BLACKHURST, author of How I Lost You "Tense, atmospheric and gripping from page one. A first-rate psychological thriller. – MASON CROSS, author of The Samaratin "Feverish and intense, Willow Walk is a worthy follow up to S.J.I. Holliday’s highly regarded debut, Black Wood. A writer who doesn’t flinch in the face of twisted impulses and unspeakable desires, few can match her for the creation of truly disturbing characters." – EVA DOLAN, author of After You Die "A brilliantly dark and twisted tale that expertly builds the tension until you find yourself biting your nails to the quick as the pages fly by." – STEVE CAVANAGH, author of The Defence "The writing is sublime and the storyline is darkly delicious with some thought-provoking themes and genuinely intriguing characters." – Liz Loves Books

A heart-pounding, unputdownable psychological thriller with an astonishing twist

Willow Walk

When two strangers end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express, an intense friendship develops, one that can only have one ending ... a nerve-shattering psychological thriller from bestselling author SJI Holliday ***Mail on Sunday BOOK OF THE YEAR*** ‘A tense, immersive thriller that kept me guessing’ Ian Rankin ‘Compelling, gripping and horrifically entertaining’ Liz Nugent ‘Wonderfully creepy and compelling’ Mail on Sunday ‘Echoes of a Killing Eve vibe. Fabulously awful women you will love’ Sarah Pinborough _________________ Carrie's best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they'd planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone. Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is also desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available. When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend's place. Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond. But as the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be... A tense and twisted psychological thriller about obsession, manipulation and toxic friendships, Violet also reminds us that there's a reason why mother told us not to talk to strangers... _________________ ‘A fantastically claustrophobic and hugely enjoyable read’ I-Newspaper ‘Killing Eve meets The Talented Mr Ripley meets Single White Female ... This is a tense, uneasy thriller, which will forever stop you befriending strangers’ Red ‘A dark look at toxic friendship, this twisted thriller is a devour-in-a-single-sitting gem’ Crime Monthly ‘A compulsive read ... a book you won’t be forgetting in a hurry’ CultureFly ‘Gripping with twists that you don’t see coming’ Woman’s Way

Violet

An unsolved murder. A community turned against each other. A killer close to home... Katie Taylor is the perfect student. She’s bright and funny, she has a boyfriend who adores her and there are only a few months left of school before she can swap Banktoun for the bright lights of London. Life gets even better when she has an unexpected win on a scratch card. But then Katie’s luck runs out. Her tragic death instead becomes the latest in a series of dark mysteries blighting the small town. The new school counsellor Polly McAllister, who has recently returned to Banktoun to make amends in her own personal life, is thrown in at the deep end as the pupils and staff come to terms with Katie’s death. And it’s not long before she uncovers a multitude of murky secrets. Did Katie have enemies? Is her boyfriend really so squeaky clean? And who is her brother’s mysterious friend? With Banktoun’s insular community inflamed by gossip and a baying mob stirring itself into a frenzy on social media, DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings must work out who really murdered Katie before someone takes matters into their own hands... The Damselfly is the latest novel from the bestselling author of Black Wood and Willow Walk set in the small Scottish town of Banktoun. Fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and Peter James will love this rivetting psychological crime thriller as DS Davie Gray tries to hold together a community once again rocked by tragedy. What readers are saying about The Damselfly: "A compulsive read until the final breathtaking page." – Elizabeth Haynes, author of Never Alone "Multi-layered, fiendishly plotted and peopled by a cast of characters drawn with rare delicacy and skill." – Eva Dolan, author of Watch Her Disappear "The Damselfly is everything we’ve come to expect from Holliday – unnerving, compelling, and grabs tight from the start.” – Amanda Jennings, author of In Her Wake "Grips throughout then stops you dead in your tracks, beautiful writing, beautiful plotting from an entirely twisted genius of an author." – LizLovesBooks "I read it in a day – this is one you won’t want to put down until its heart-breaking conclusion." – Jenny Blackhurst, author of Before I Let You In "Think you're in for a cosy time of it if you move in to a small town? Read this book and have a re-think ... A pacy read: a fascinating ride, and one that will keep you glued to the book, right to the very last word." – Michael J Malone, author of A Suitable Lie "Another haunting, fast-paced thriller. The Damselfly gets under the skin of teenagers, families and the Banktoun community." – AK Benedict, author of The Beauty of Murder "A blaster of a plot that grips you right from the get-go." – Ava Marsh, author of Untouchable "A heart-thumping thriller, packed with twists and turns, that left me breathless. – Jane Isaac, author of Beneath the Ashes "A forceful, utterly gripping story that builds and builds the suspense until the stunning ending that will leave readers gasping." – Random Things Through My Letterbox

SJI Holliday

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