Troublemaker
As heard on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour
Published on 15. January 2026
384 pages
978-1-5291-9399-2 (ISBN)
Description
The gripping and claustrophobic must-read new mystery thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of THE RUMOUR, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, B.A. Paris, and Claire Douglas.
'Tension mounts by the page in this exhilarating 'girl who cried wolf' thriller - a riveting, read-in-one-sitting treat'
- Louise Candlish, bestselling author of OUR HOUSE
Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with.
But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm's tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don't take her seriously.
But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start - the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?
Praise for Lesley Kara and Troublemaker
'Lesley Kara is brilliant. I read TROUBLEMAKER in one sitting - it just would not let me put it down!'
- Peter James, bestselling author of DEAD SIMPLE and ONE OF US IS DEAD
'I adored Storm and Lena, I loved everything about this book - one of my absolute favourite reads of the year.'
- Andrea Mara, bestselling author of IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU
'Creepy and tense. I devoured this in two sittings . . . Five huge stars from me.' ? ? ? ? ?
'I raced through TROUBLEMAKER, desperate to know what on earth was going on. Twisty, compelling and full of heart'
- Laura Marshall, bestselling author of FRIEND REQUEST
'Storm's character is painted so well and with so much care' ? ? ? ? ?
'This deliciously chilling suspense thriller is an absolute treat. Kara combines her astute grasp of human psychology with her observational skills to create a twisty and compelling story. I was up way too late reading and I can't recommend this enough'
- Chris Bridges, author of SICK TO DEATH
'Very fast paced and gripping' ? ? ? ? ?
'A twisty thriller that had me gripped right from the very start after the protagonist witnesses a murder that then appears not to have happened. Lesley had me guessing all the way through the book and I loved the pairing up of two fantastic characters in Lena and Storm. A fabulous read!'
- Nikki Smith, author of THE BEACH PARTY
'Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page'
Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and THE BLUE HOUR
** Have you read Lesley Kara's debut novel, THE RUMOUR? Now a major TV series on Channel 5! **
'Tension mounts by the page in this exhilarating 'girl who cried wolf' thriller - a riveting, read-in-one-sitting treat'
- Louise Candlish, bestselling author of OUR HOUSE
Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with.
But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm's tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don't take her seriously.
But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start - the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?
Praise for Lesley Kara and Troublemaker
'Lesley Kara is brilliant. I read TROUBLEMAKER in one sitting - it just would not let me put it down!'
- Peter James, bestselling author of DEAD SIMPLE and ONE OF US IS DEAD
'I adored Storm and Lena, I loved everything about this book - one of my absolute favourite reads of the year.'
- Andrea Mara, bestselling author of IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU
'Creepy and tense. I devoured this in two sittings . . . Five huge stars from me.' ? ? ? ? ?
'I raced through TROUBLEMAKER, desperate to know what on earth was going on. Twisty, compelling and full of heart'
- Laura Marshall, bestselling author of FRIEND REQUEST
'Storm's character is painted so well and with so much care' ? ? ? ? ?
'This deliciously chilling suspense thriller is an absolute treat. Kara combines her astute grasp of human psychology with her observational skills to create a twisty and compelling story. I was up way too late reading and I can't recommend this enough'
- Chris Bridges, author of SICK TO DEATH
'Very fast paced and gripping' ? ? ? ? ?
'A twisty thriller that had me gripped right from the very start after the protagonist witnesses a murder that then appears not to have happened. Lesley had me guessing all the way through the book and I loved the pairing up of two fantastic characters in Lena and Storm. A fabulous read!'
- Nikki Smith, author of THE BEACH PARTY
'Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page'
Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and THE BLUE HOUR
** Have you read Lesley Kara's debut novel, THE RUMOUR? Now a major TV series on Channel 5! **
Reviews / Votes
Lesley Kara is brilliant. I read TROUBLEMAKER in one sitting - it just would not let me put it down! * Peter James * This deliciously chilling suspense thriller is an absolute treat. Kara combines her astute grasp of human psychology with her observational skills to create a twisty and compelling story. I was up way too late reading and I can't recommend this enough. * Chris Bridges, author of SICK TO DEATH * A twisty thriller that had me gripped right from the very start after the protagonist witnesses a murder that then appears not to have happened. Lesley had me guessing all the way through the book and I loved the pairing up of two fantastic characters in Lena and Storm. A fabulous read! * Nikki Smith, author of THE BEACH PARTY * Highly immersive! Storm and Lena are wonderfully drawn characters and a reader can't help but root for them. I flew through this book. * Mary Watson, bestselling author of THE CLEANER * I raced through TROUBLEMAKER, desperate to know what on earth was going on. Twisty, compelling and full of heart * Laura Marshall, bestselling author of FRIEND REQUEST * I adored Storm and Lena, I loved everything about this book - one of my absolute favourite reads of the year. * Andrea Mara, bestselling author of IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU * Take a gripping thriller and throw in grief, paranoia and friendship; Troublemaker is brilliantly written and completely addictive. * Jackie Kabler * A hugely enjoyable page-turner. * Emma Curtis, author of THE BABYSITTER * Tension mounts by the page in this exhilarating 'girl who cried wolf' thriller - a riveting, read-in-one-sitting treat. * Louise Candlish, bestselling author of OUR HOUSE * Praise for Lesley Kara: * - *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
File size
1,49 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-5291-9399-2 (9781529193992)
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
Person
Lesley Kara is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour, Who Did You Tell?, The Dare, The Apartment Upstairs and The Other Tenant. The Rumour was the highest selling crime fiction debut of 2019 in the UK, a Kindle No.1 bestseller, and is now a major TV series on Channel 5. Lesley is an alumna of the Faber Academy 'Writing a Novel' course. She lives in Kent.
You can follow Lesley on Instagram at @lesleykarawriter, on Facebook at lesleykarawriter, and on X @LesleyKara. You can also sign up for her newsletter at www.lesleykara.com/newsletter.
You can follow Lesley on Instagram at @lesleykarawriter, on Facebook at lesleykarawriter, and on X @LesleyKara. You can also sign up for her newsletter at www.lesleykara.com/newsletter.
