Colin’s Books

An ingenious novel of suspense about sisterhood, innocence, murderous games, and how far we'll go to protect the ones we love. In a tight-knit town in the 1980s, a child-killer is on the loose. And Topaz's parents are on edge. At ten years old, Topaz is so vulnerable. But she has nothing to worry about. Her eldest sister, Ruby, has made sure of that. Swearing Topaz to secrecy, Ruby reveals she has trapped the monster in their root cellar. Bound and bloodied in the cold space is kindly Brother Johnson from the church. Pleading with Topaz to cut him loose, he says her reckless sister is a liar. Brother Johnson is right about that: Ruby does lie. She also likes to scare people. Still, even Ruby wouldn't lie about this. Would she? The game--and the secret--is in her hands. But Topaz just wants to do the right thing. Let Brother Johnson die in the cold space? Or try to set him free--and then see what happens next?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A PROPULSIVE DEBUT MYSTERY FROM EVELYN CLARKE, THE BRILLIANT AND DIABOLICAL CREATION OF CAT CLARKE AND V.E. SCHWAB Six authors. One private island. Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives. Named one of the Most Anticipated Mysteries of 2026 by GoodReads, Marie Claire , and Page Six . “In the running for the best mystery of 2026. With a trove of tropes that mystery lovers will love, it will remind you, in the best way, of Agatha Christie.”—Stephen King Arthur Fletch, one of the world’s bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead . . . and his last book is unfinished. Desperate to publish the novel, Fletch’s agent and editor have summoned these writers in the hope that one of them will imagine a worthy ending for this final book. To sweeten the deal, they are offering an irresistible prize: in addition to ghost-writing the last chapter––for a mind-boggling sum––they will also help the lucky writer successfully re-launch their own career, guaranteeing future bestsellers. The catch: the writers have just seventy-two hours to finish Fletch’s magnum opus. It’s the perfect plot. All it needs is a killer ending.