This is a seriously good, spooky book with great characterisation and a tremendous build of tension. It’s about revenge and deceit and centres on two girls brought up by single parents, one advantaged, one sadly not. The girls were school friends and now in adult life one is a crime reporter, the other disappears. This is a one-sitting book (if you can). Highly recommended.
Remember the person you sat next to on your first day at school? Still your best friend? Or disappeared from your life for good?
Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last for ever. They met when Rachel was the new girl in class and Clara was the friend everyone wanted. Instantly, they fell under one another's spell and nothing would be the same again. Now in their late twenties Rachel has the TV career, the flat and the boyfriend, while Clara's life is spiralling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound. Then Clara vanishes. Is it abduction, suicide or something else altogether? Imagine discovering something about your oldest friend that forces you to question everything you've shared together. The truth is always there. But only if you choose to see it.
'A provocative and intriguing debut that will leave you questioning how well you know your own childhood friends' -- Jilliane Hoffman
'Draws you into the dark side of friendship with breath-taking skill - this gripping thriller had me hooked from the start' -- Sarah Rayner
'Keep your eyes peeled this summer for an astonishing new talent in the form of hack-turned-novelist Colette McBeth... Gone Girl but with a Brit voice' -- David Mark, author of DARK WINTER
'This is a page-turner and no mistake. Dark, intriguing, and full of unexpected twists' -- Lynn Shepherd, author of Tom-All-Alone's and A Treacherous Likeness
'The plot of Precious Thing is like a Catherine wheel, spinning faster and faster as it approaches its final twist... It is a fine debut from Colette McBeth. Roll on her next' -- Clio Gray
'A brilliant, chilling debut. Psychopathy has never seemed so attractive' -- Ali Knight, author of Wink Murder
'An excellent debut, well-written, gripping and tense which skillfully weaves an unfolding nightmare with a dark past. The world of news journalism is expertly handled as is the exploration of the intense female friendship at the heart of the story' -- Cath Staincliffe, author of Sal Kilkenny Mysteries and Scott & Bailey novels
'[T]his psychological thriller had me gripped from start to finish. She has a unique voice... I'm sure her debut will be a huge success' -- Mari Hannah
Author
About Colette McBeth
Colette McBeth was a BBC TV New s Correspondent for ten years. She lives in West London with her husband and three young children. She attended the Faber Academy Novel Writing Course in 2011. Her first novel, Precious Thing, was published in 2013.