We Begin at the End

*THE THEAKSTON'S OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2021* *WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR* *WINNER OF THE NED KELLY INTERNATIONAL AWARD* A GUARDIAN BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR An EXPRESS BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR An i BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR A MIRROR BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR A WATERSTONES THRILLER OF THE MONTH READ THE BOOK EVERYONE IS CALLING A MASTERPIECE. 'A beautifully written mystery, packed with unforgettable characters' JANE HARPER 'An accomplished and moving story of crime, punishment, love and redemption' GUARDIAN For fans of Jane Harper's The Dry comes a powerful novel about the lengths we will go to keep our family safe. This is a story about good and evil and how life is lived somewhere in between. Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer. Now, he's been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed. Duchess Radley, Star's thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin - and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town. Murder, revenge, retribution. How far can we run from the past, when the past seems doomed to repeat itself? WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT WE BEGIN AT THE END: 'Magnificent . . . an instant classic, a West Coast Where the Crawdads Sing . . . a special, vital novel. I'm grateful to have read it' A J FINN 'Surely destined to conquer the world' RUTH JONES 'A magnificent crime novel. It deserves to win a hatful of awards. A BIG hat. Consider me a major fan' MARK BILLINGHAM 'So beautifully written' LYNDA LA PLANTE 'Incredible writing, characters so brilliantly drawn they jump off the page. Outstanding' BA PARIS 'I LOVED this book . . . This is a book to be read and re-read and an author to be celebrated' LOUISE PENNY 'A stunning and heartbreaking book - will keep you gripped until the last moving page' CLAIRE MCGOWAN 'An exceptionally beautiful and accomplished crime novel' ALI LAND 'One of the best books I've ever read' FIONA CUMMINS 'An absolute masterclass in crime writing and story-telling' JO SPAIN 'One of the year's best crime reads' VASEEM KHAN 'One of my favourite books of all time' M. W. CRAVEN, winner of the CWA's Gold Dagger Award 'A masterpiece of storytelling with clever twists and an ending to knock you sideways' CANDIS MAGAZINE 'This heart-rending story . . . is among the most powerful and moving I have read in years' DAILY MAIL 'Cements Whitaker's status as one of the most talented authors writing today' HEAT MAGAZINE 'Masterly novel' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'A dark yet painfully human tale that is impossible to forget' CRIME MONTHLY 'Beautifully written and deeply moving' SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB 'A gorgeous, crystalline novel' JEANINE CUMMINS, author of AMERICAN DIRT 'Heartbreaking and profound, this is my thriller of the year' MIRROR