Kind of Cruel: a totally gripping and unputdownable crime thriller packed with twists

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When Amber Hewerdine consults a hypnotherapist as a desperate last resort, she doesn't expect that anything much will change.

She doesn't expect it to help with her chronic insomnia . . .

She doesn't expect to hear herself, under hypnosis, saying words that mean nothing to her: 'Kind, cruel, kind of cruel' - words she has seen somewhere before, if only she could remember where . . .

She doesn't expect to be arrested two hours later, as a result of having spoken those words out loud, in connection with the brutal murder of Katharine Allen, a woman she's never heard of . . .

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Praise for Kind of Cruel

  • [Hannah] has outdone herself with KIND OF CRUEL . . . Her trademark precision-layered structure creates a multi-dimensional maze that holds at its centre a revelation which is truly hair-raising, even by Hannah's standards. - Independent on SundayAn exploration of memory and the way trauma lives on in the present. Cool, calculating and utterly chilling, KIND OF CRUEL is another compulsive book from Hannah, to be gulped down with all the lights on and someone to grab when the sense of menace grows too great. - ObserverLike Hannah's previous multilayered thrillers, her seventh offers the unravelling of several mysteries, a rich mix of the dark and diverting, and astute portraits of women falling apart. - The Sunday TimesAn audacious puzzle of a novel that is impossible to second guess . . . Crime novels are often dismissed in literary circles for not being literary enough. Yet KIND OF CRUEL is exactly the intelligent, reflective and stunningly written novel that has "literary" critics swooning and judging panels lining up to reward. The fact that it has a police investigation at its heart is a plus, not a minus, and makes for one hell of a journey. - Sunday ExpressKIND OF CRUEL is another compulsive book from Hannah - Sunday Independent IrelandHannah excels at dissecting human behaviour, and the way she describes little acts of cruelty can send real chills down the spine. - Psychologies'Hannah's classy psychological thrillers are known for their amazing openings and this one is a doozy . . . The plot developments are often jaw-dropping and the ending is wonderfully satisfying. Another triumph for one of the very best crime writers out there.' ***** - HeatIf you have ever finished a crime novel having already correctly worked out whodunit and why and are feeling slightly disappointed and cheated as a result, allow me to introduce you to Sophie Hannah . . . if you reach the end of her latest, baroquely plotted novel KIND OF CRUEL one step ahead of her, I wouldn't just be surprised but downright suspicious and sceptical too. - Scotsman

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Sophie Hannah

Sophie Hannah

Sophie Hannah is a Sunday Times, New York Times and Amazon Kindle No. 1 bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies and are published in 51 countries. She was the first person to write and publish new Hercule Poirot mysteries, at the request of Agatha Christie's family and estate. In 2023 she won the Dagger in the Library Award, and in 2013 she won the UK National Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year prize for her novel The Carrier. Sophie is also an award-winning poet whose work is studied at GCSE level across the UK, and has been shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. Her murder mystery musical, The Mystery of Mr E, was released as a feature film in 2023. Sophie is the founder and coach at Dream Author Coaching, and her recent self-help book about how to make brilliant decisions, The Double Best Method, was an Amazon top ten bestseller. Sophie lives with her husband, grown-up children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an honorary fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.

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