Sharp Glass
Published on 10. April 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-0350-0511-6 (ISBN)
Description
Sarah Hilary, Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year winner and author of Black Thorn, returns with Sharp Glass. Trapped and alone in a remote house in the country, one woman must find a way to defeat a captor who has no intention of letting her go.
'A master of her craft. In every book she makes the words sing' - Ann Cleeves
The last thing she remembers is standing outside the empty house. One she was employed to pack, ready for removal. Her job is her life. It is her compulsion to take care of an owner's precious possessions, to do whatever it takes to help them move on. Now she is cold, dirty, damp, trapped in its cellar with no chance of escape, miles from anywhere. His prisoner.
And then he returns.
Her captor believes she holds the answers to why a young girl was murdered a year ago. He refuses to let her go until she reveals her secrets. But he doesn't know she has hidden depths, and an anger she works hard to control.
The battle lines are drawn. They are the only two people who can solve the mystery of the dead girl. But when the truth is revealed, whose life will shatter?
* * *
Praise for Sarah Hilary:
'Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff' - Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key
'A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told' - Megan Abbott, author of You Will Know Me
''It's strange and compelling, and no one else could have written it' - Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses
'A master of her craft. In every book she makes the words sing' - Ann Cleeves
The last thing she remembers is standing outside the empty house. One she was employed to pack, ready for removal. Her job is her life. It is her compulsion to take care of an owner's precious possessions, to do whatever it takes to help them move on. Now she is cold, dirty, damp, trapped in its cellar with no chance of escape, miles from anywhere. His prisoner.
And then he returns.
Her captor believes she holds the answers to why a young girl was murdered a year ago. He refuses to let her go until she reveals her secrets. But he doesn't know she has hidden depths, and an anger she works hard to control.
The battle lines are drawn. They are the only two people who can solve the mystery of the dead girl. But when the truth is revealed, whose life will shatter?
* * *
Praise for Sarah Hilary:
'Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff' - Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key
'A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told' - Megan Abbott, author of You Will Know Me
''It's strange and compelling, and no one else could have written it' - Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses
Reviews / Votes
I've loved Sarah's work from the beginning. She's a brave writer, shifting tone and subject matter, always surprising. Above all, she's a master of her craft. In every book she makes the words sing -- Ann Cleeves, author of <i> The Vera Stanhope <i/> series Nail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff. Black Thorn has the atmosphere and drama of a modern-day du Maurier novel. Sarah Hilary's uncanny ability to make readers not just see through her characters' eyes but feel through their skin in unparalleled -- Erin Kelly, author of <i> The Skeleton Key <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> A creepy and atmospheric tale, beautifully and sensitively written -- <i>The Guardian</i> on <i>Black Thorn</i> A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told, Sarah Hilary's Black Thorn sweeps you into its dark embrace from the start and holds you there until its final revelations -- Megan Abbott, author of <i> Dare Me <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> Exudes a tightly controlled menace that ratchets up to full-blown claustrophobia as the pages turn. A book that oozes under your skin from the opening sentence -- Vaseem Khan, author of <i> Death of a Lesser God <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> Sarah Hilary has done it again with this tale of toxicity in all its forms. Excellent writing and tight plotting on top of shifting sands make Black Thorn an unforgettable read with the most sympathetic protagonist I've read in years -- Liz Nugent, author of <i> Strange Sally Diamond <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> Brilliant. Taking a really deep dive into some dark spaces that Sarah brings vividly to life, it's wonderful and unlike anything else I've read lately -- Mick Herron, author of <i> Slow Horses <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> Sarah Hilary is a writer with all the gifts: character and psychology, language and one-more-chapter suspense. In twisting, turning, ever-changing Black Thorn, she shows us how very easily the wrong people can turn paradise into hell on earth -- Lucie Whitehouse, author of <i> Risk of Harm <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> An *extraordinary* book. Beautifully written, densely plotted, with an uncanny insight into the best and worst of family relationships -- Emma Flint, author of <i> Other Women <i/> on <i>Black Thorn</i> Brilliant psychological thriller which keeps turning like an egg timer so that you can't work out who is the captor and who is the captive. A remarkably accurate depiction of the impact of trauma, with unforgettable characters. -- Jo Callaghan, author of <i> In the Blink of an Eye <i/>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 193 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
284 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-0511-6 (9781035005116)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Sarah Hilary
Sharp Glass
A Tense and Unnerving Exploration of Obsession and Revenge That Will Keep You Turning the Pages
E-Book
07/2024
Macmillan
€14.49
Available for download
Person
Sarah Hilary's debut, Someone Else's Skin, won the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award and was also a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a finalist for both the Silver Falchion and the Macavity Awards in the US. No Other Darkness, the second in her DI Marnie Rome series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award. The series continued with Tastes Like Fear, Quieter Than Killing, Come and Find Me and Never Be Broken. Sharp Glass is her third standalone novel, following Black Thorn and Fragile.