Araminta Hall – författare

A gripping psychological suspense read A family near breaking point hire a nanny with secrets of her own in this gripping novel from an exciting talent. Cupboards were sticky from spilt jam and honey, and the oven smoked when you turned it on because of the fat that had built up over the years. Agatha would never, ever let her future home end up like this. She would never leave it every day like Ruth did. She would never put her trust in strangers. Ruth and Christian are – just – holding their marriage together, after Christian's disastrous affair a year ago. But chaos beckons, and when the family are suddenly left without any childcare, Agatha comes into their lives to solve all their problems. But Agatha is not as perfect as she seems and her love for the children masks a deeper secret.Everything and Nothing is a stunningly assured debut, superbly evoking an atmosphere of inexorable and sinister menace that builds to a mesmerising climax in a story that is, at its heart, about thwarted and damaged love.–––––––––––––––-‘An assured debut takes the Mary Poppins myth and turns it into a menacing tale of the enemy invited in… I suspect that this will be the first of what promises to be a new genre: the nanny chiller’ Sunday Times‘Chilling and suspenseful’ The Sun‘An unsettling, menacing read’ Grazia‘A suspenseful and emotive examination of a family in meltdown…Hall’s tale is told assuredly and touches on the darkness, tensions and unhappiness behind the facade of daily family life. It’s a skilfully executed debut novel that nestles perfectly alongside the dark, nuanced psychological thrills of Daphne du Maurier and Sophie Hannah’ Waterstones Books Quarterly‘Everything and Nothing is a beautifully written, completely gripping novel that plays on the unsettling notion that sometimes the least safe place is your very own home' Emily Mortimer

The remarkable new novel from the bestselling author of Everything and Nothing ‘An emotionally compelling and deeply moving novel – I loved it’ Daisy Goodwin In a higgledy-piggledy house with turrets and tunnels towering over the sleepy Welsh village of Druith, two girls play hide and seek. They don’t see its grandeur or the secrets locked behind doors they cannot open. They see lots of brilliant places to hide.Squeezed under her mother’s bed, pulse racing with the thrill of a new hiding place Dot sees something else: a long-forgotten photograph of a man, his hair blowing in the breeze. Dot stares so long at the photograph the image begins to disintegrate before her eyes, and as the image fades it is replaced with one thought: ‘I think it’s definitely him.’DOT is the story of one little girl and how her one small action changes the lives of those around her for ever.

If most men say they’re one of the good guys, then why are so many women afraid to walk alone at night?'Groundbreaking. Hall’s take on a very contemporary subject is challenging, revelatory and controversial' – Sunday Times'Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing and unputdownable.' - Lisa Jewell, author of None of This is True'One of the most daring and intriguing writers working today' – Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl'I devoured this book' – Lisa Taddeo, author of Three Women'Scorching, smart and soaked in feminist rage' – Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club'A dark, dazzling shock to the system' – Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the EndCole is the perfect husband: a romantic, supportive of his wife, Mel’s career, keen to be a hands-on dad, not a big drinker. A good guy.So when Mel leaves him, he's floored. She was lucky to be with a man like him.Craving solitude, he accepts a job on the coast and quickly settles into his new life where he meets reclusive artist Lennie.Lennie has made the same move for similar reasons. She is living in a crumbling cottage on the edge of a nearby cliff. It’s an undeniably scary location, but sometimes you have to face your fears to get past them.As their relationship develops, two young women go missing while on a walk protesting gendered violence, right by where Cole and Lennie live. Finding themselves at the heart of a police investigation and media frenzy, it soon becomes clear that they don’t know each other very well at all.This is what happens when women have had enough.'One of the Good Guys is definitely one of the good ones'Val McDermid, author of the Karen Pirie series'An intriguing mix of psychological thriller and contemporary feminist fable'Daily Mail'This book will hook you from the first page'Alice Feeney, author of Daisy Darker'It got me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. It’s creepy, thought-provoking, compelling and so very relevant'Julie Cohen, author of Bad Men'A mind-bending tour de force. Araminta Hall has always been one of my favorite writers, but what she has done here is groundbreaking. This thriller is shocking, twisted, dark, and absolutely on-point'Samantha Downing, author of My Lovely Wife'A bold and on-point feminist thriller about gendered violence with Gone Girl twistiness and narrator unreliability'Victoria Selman, author of Truly, Darkly, Deeply

'Araminta is one of the most daring and intriguing writers working today. This is a resonant, razor-laced and dangerously glittering novel' Gillian Flynn'An absolutely thrilling tale, full of breathless cliffside terror and fresh feminist theory masked in tight, propulsive mystery. I devoured this book' Lisa Taddeo*********If most men say they’re one of the good guys, then why are so many women afraid to walk alone at night?Cole is the perfect husband: a romantic, supportive of his wife, Mel’s career, keen to be a hands-on dad, not a big drinker. A good guy.So when Mel leaves him, he's floored. She was lucky to be with a man like him.Craving solitude, he accepts a job on the coast and quickly settles into his new life where he meets reclusive artist Lennie.Lennie has made the same move for similar reasons. She is living in a crumbling cottage on the edge of a nearby cliff. It’s an undeniably scary location, but sometimes you have to face your fears to get past them.As their relationship develops, two young women go missing while on a walk protesting gendered violence, right by where Cole and Lennie live. Finding themselves at the heart of a police investigation and media frenzy, it soon becomes clear that they don’t know each other very well at all.This is what happens when women have had enough . . .*********‘A dark, dazzling shock to the system. One of the Good Guys is clever, composed, exciting and frightening’Chris Whitaker'Scorching, smart and soaked in feminist rage, this is a suspense that stays with you long after the last page'Ellery Lloyd'It got me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. It’s creepy, thought-provoking, compelling and so very relevant'Julie Cohen'A mind-bending tour de force. Araminta Hall has always been one of my favorite writers, but what she has done here is groundbreaking. This thriller is shocking, twisted, dark, and absolutely on-point'Samantha Downing'A bold and on-point feminist thriller about gendered violence with Gone Girl twistiness and narrator unreliability'Victoria Selman'A dark, original and thought-provoking read. This book will hook you from the first page and keep you thinking long after the last'Alice Feeney

'Every single woman out there needs to read this, because you either know this man, or you know a woman who knows this man' – @bookwormescapes'Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing and unputdownable' – Lisa Jewell, author of None of This is True'This book will hook you from the first page' – Alice Feeney, author of Beautiful Ugly* * *Cole is the perfect husband: a romantic, supportive of his wife, Mel’s career, keen to be a hands-on dad, not a big drinker. A good guy.So when Mel leaves him, he's floored. She was lucky to be with a man like him.Craving solitude, he accepts a job on the coast and quickly settles into his new life where he meets reclusive artist Lennie.Lennie has made the same move for similar reasons. She is living in a crumbling cottage on the edge of a nearby cliff. It’s an undeniably scary location, but sometimes you have to face your fears to get past them.As their relationship develops, two young women go missing while on a walk protesting gendered violence, right by where Cole and Lennie live. Finding themselves at the heart of a police investigation and media frenzy, it soon becomes clear that they don’t know each other very well at all.This is what happens when women have had enough.* * *'One of the most daring and intriguing writers working today' – Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl'Groundbreaking' – Sunday Times

From the author of the hotly anticipated TV series Imperfect Women, starring Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington.‘A thrilling escape with the most unexpected twists’ – Elisabeth MossYOUR SECRETS AREN'T SAFE.Ten years ago, Hope left Somerset with a fatal secret and a broken heart. She has spent a decade in the shadows, living a quiet life of penance to protect the man she once loved – the world-famous author Ambrose Glencourt.YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN.Then, she opens his latest bestseller. To the world, it’s a brilliant work of fiction. To Hope, it’s a betrayal. Every private moment, every dark truth, and every ‘fatal disaster’ from that summer is laid bare on the page.YOUR TRUTH IS A LIE.But Ambrose has changed the ending. In his version of the story, Hope isn't the victim. She’s the villain.Now, Hope must step out of the shadows to reclaim her narrative. But in a world of glamorous elites and whispered secrets, who will believe the word of an unreliable woman against the word of a literary icon?Two narrators. One truth. And a secret worth killing for.Praise for Araminta Hall:‘Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing and unputdownable’ – Lisa Jewell, author of Don't Let Him In‘One of the most daring and intriguing writers working today’ – Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

From the author of the hotly anticipated TV series Imperfect Women, starring Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington.‘A thrilling escape with the most unexpected twists’ – Elisabeth MossYOUR SECRETS AREN'T SAFE.Ten years ago, Hope left Somerset with a fatal secret and a broken heart. She has spent a decade in the shadows, living a quiet life of penance to protect the man she once loved – the world-famous author Ambrose Glencourt.YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN.Then, she opens his latest bestseller. To the world, it’s a brilliant work of fiction. To Hope, it’s a betrayal. Every private moment, every dark truth, and every ‘fatal disaster’ from that summer is laid bare on the page.YOUR TRUTH IS A LIE.But Ambrose has changed the ending. In his version of the story, Hope isn't the victim. She’s the villain.Now, Hope must step out of the shadows to reclaim her narrative. But in a world of glamorous elites and whispered secrets, who will believe the word of an unreliable woman against the word of a literary icon?Two narrators. One truth. And a secret worth killing for.Praise for Araminta Hall:‘Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing and unputdownable’ – Lisa Jewell, author of Don't Let Him In‘One of the most daring and intriguing writers working today’ – Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

**NOW A MAJOR APPLE TV SERIES!**'Love this book' Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid's Tale'Rare and complex' Marian Keyes'A dark, delicious thriller. I loved it.' Louise O'NeillFRIENDS TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING. OR DO THEY?Everyone wants perfection.But there is no such thing.Nancy has the perfect life. She is bright, beautiful and rich with an adoring husband and daughter.At least that's what it seems on the outside to her two best friends.But then Nancy is murdered.And as the lies start to unravel, they realise they never knew their perfect friend at all.She clearly had as many secrets as they do...*This novel was previously published as Perfect Strangers in paperback, eBook and audio*More praise for ARAMINTA HALL:'Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing' LISA JEWELL'Absolutely thrilling!' LISA TADDEO'A dark, dazzling shock to the system' CHRIS WHITAKER'Immersive and unsettling' SARAH VAUGHAN'An excellent twist' DOROTHY KOOMSON'Beautifully written' SAMANTHA DOWNING'Immersive, intelligent and gripping' S.E. LYNES

*This novel was previously published as IMPERFECT WOMEN in hardback*SOON TO BE A MAJOR APPLE TV SERIES!'Love this book' Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid's Tale'Rare and complex' Marian Keyes'A dark, delicious thriller. I loved it.' Louise O'NeillFRIENDS TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING. OR DO THEY?Everyone wants perfection.But there is no such thing.Nancy has the perfect life.She is bright, beautiful and rich with an adoring husband and daughter.At least that's what it seems on the outside to her two best friends.But then Nancy is murdered.And as the lies start to unravel, they realise they never knew their perfect friend at all.She clearly had as many secrets as they do...More praise for ARAMINTA HALL:'Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing' LISA JEWELL'Absolutely thrilling!' LISA TADDEO'A dark, dazzling shock to the system' CHRIS WHITAKER'Immersive and unsettling' SARAH VAUGHAN'An excellent twist' DOROTHY KOOMSON'Beautifully written' SAMANTHA DOWNING'Immersive, intelligent and gripping' S.E. LYNES

'Inspired by her own family history, this thriller has it all. Tense and thoughtful, with impeccable characterisation and historical detail... A compulsive nail-biter... Thought-provoking, emotional and suspenseful, it's a smasher.' Reader Review, 5 starsPassenger...Lily is pregnant, travelling onboard the Titanic to her beloved family in the United States, hoping she can get there before her mind and body give up.For a long time now Lily has felt unsafe, because her husband isn't the man he pretends to be. So, when she meets widower Lawrence, she thinks he might be her last chance for help.Or Prisoner...But Lawrence knows he hasn't got time to save Lily. Lawrence is the only person on board the unsinkable ship who knows he will not disembark in New York. And the danger is much worse than either of them could imagine.Can Lily and Lawrence help each other to safety before it's too late?

_________________________________LOVE. OBSESSION.DANGER.'Simply one of the most disturbing thrillers I've read in years. In short I loved it, right down to the utterly chilling final line' GILLIAN FLYNN, author of GONE GIRLOur Kind of Cruelty is:'Astonishingly dark.''Chilling. Disturbing. Addictive.''Gripping, unsettling, and brilliantly constructed.''The year's best thriller.'_________________________________VERITYThings were difficult with Mike by the end. He was too much, too controlling - sometimes, I was afraid of him. But I've moved on now. I'm getting married to the man of my dreams - he looks after me, but he doesn't stifle me. Mike and the games we used to play - that's all in the past now.It's time to move on.Mike and I are finished.MIKEIt was just a matter of time until she came back to me. After what I did, maybe she's right to make me wait. But Verity knows how sorry I am. And the messages she sends me, the way she calls me, the way she acted last time I saw her - no-one acts like that if they've stopped caring.She'll be mine again.No matter who stands in my way._________________________________'A propulsive and addictive study of the darkness of obsessive love. I was completely gripped from the first word to the last.' LISA JEWELL'As merciless a thriller as I've ever read. Astonishingly dark and sensationally accomplished.' AJ FINN, author of The Woman in the Window'A tense intelligent thriller that kept me gripped and guessing until the last page - and thinking long after that.' ERIN KELLY'A searing, chilling sliver of perfection... may well turn out to be the year's best thriller.' NEW YORK TIMES SUMMER READING ISSUE'Readers of weary of domestic noir should pick up Our Kind of Cruelty, a splendidly written novel that gives the genre a shot in the arm ... pacily written and hugely involving... I was gripped until the last pages.' DAILY EXPRESS'A taut, fascinating psychological thriller. Original and powerful. Be prepared for questions to linger in your head for a long time afterward.' JULIA HEABERLIN'Toxic love, obsession, and the unflinching unravelling of a mind. Scarily plausible, a great read.' ALI LAND'Chilling. Disturbing. Addictive. I couldn't put this down.' EMMA FLINT'Like watching a slow motion car-crash through splayed fingers' TAMMY COHEN'An addictive dive into dangerous, extreme obsession. A must-read' JULIA CROUCH'the orchestration of suspense is masterly' FINANCIAL TIMES'disturbing and thrilling' DAILY MAIL'This brilliant, thought-provoking thriller will keep you up at night' BEST MAGAZINE'Darkly addictive, this is set to be one of the most talked-about thrillers of the year' HEAT MAGAZINE'I devoured this gripping, unsettling, and brilliantly constructed thriller in one gulp' WOMAN AND HOME