All The Hidden Truths (Winner Of The Mcilvanney Debut Prize)

Description:

WINNER OF THE MCILVANNEY DEBUT PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AND CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) AWARDS

'(a) meticulous and compelling novel about the aftermath of a major crime and its effect on the affected families and investigating officers both.' Ian Rankin

'...it deserves every accolade. This psychological suspense story is one of the best books of the year...Askew is a writer on the rise.' The Globe and Mail (Canada)

This is a fact: Ryan Summers walked into Three Rivers College and killed thirteen women, then himself.

But no one can say why.

The question is one that cries out to be answered - by Ryan's mother, Moira; by Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and by DI Helen Birch, put in charge of the case on her first day at her new job. But as the tabloids and the media swarm, as the families' secrets come out, as the world searches for someone to blame... the truth seems to vanish.

A stunningly moving novel from an exciting new voice in crime, ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS will cause you to question your assumptions about the people you love, and reconsider how the world reacts to tragedy.


Review: Stunning debut... compellingly written. * Daily Mail *
(a) meticulous and compelling novel about the aftermath of a major crime and its effect on the affected families and investigating officers both. -- Ian Rankin
Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn't tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction. -- Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said
As scarily plausible as it is utterly captivating, this is an absorbing and unforgettable debut. * Heat *
Raw, powerful, compassionate and deeply moving, with page-turning tension to the end. A stunning debut. -- Karen Robinson, Sunday Times Crime Club
Moving and memorable. * The Sunday Times *
Splendid debut... thoughtful and well-written. * Guardian *
You'll be gripped by the unexpected truths that emerge. Compelling. * Marie Claire *
An intricate, pacy, risky and intriguing novel. -- Jenn Ashworth
Claire Askew takes us away from the obvious plot and asks us tantalising questions... the three women... form an absorbing psychological trio for Askew's thought-provoking, upsetting entry into crime fiction. * The Times *
A fantastic read. -- Cara Hunter
This is a such a clever, brave book. Askew looks unflinchingly at the unimaginable, but her writing is wrought with compassion. It's as heart-rending as it is gripping. -- Sabine Durrant, author of Lie With Me
When we think about Edinburgh crime our thoughts turn to Ian Rankin and Val McDermid. Claire Askew could be up there with them. * The Bookbag *
(a) Fine, thought-provoking debut * Mail on Sunday *
A searing, heart-breaking thriller. * The Herald, Scotland *
Emotionally engrossing, morally challenging, horribly topical -- Tammy Cohen
A well-written investigation of individual and collective responsibility. * Guardian *
Damn, this is a good book... a debut of such power, and of such verve. * SHOTS *
ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS is a marvel... Absorbing and suspenseful, it's a thought-provoking debut novel * The Skinny *
This is a gripping debut crime thriller that draws you in with plenty of accurately-observed characters and a well-drawn setting. It is the page-turner promised and well worth losing yourself in. * South Wales Echo *
Gripping * Grazia *
This is a gripping debut crime thriller that draws you in with plenty of accurately observed characters and a well-drawn setting. It is the page-turner promised and well worth losing yourself in. * Daily Record *
This novel will no doubt be a summer hit. * North London Local Magazine *
There's so much to enjoy about this compelling debut. The three different viewpoints really pulled me in to the story, and got me thinking about the nature of victimhood as well as collective social responsibility. This is a timely, relevant, and thought-provoking novel. -- Sarah Franklin, author of Shelter
Really excellent - totally gripping... very realistic. One to look out for -- Sophie Cameron, author of Out Of The Blue
A novel so shockingly current that it seems to fictionalise the world even as it changes around us. -- Shelley Harris, author of Vigilante
A gripping, thought provoking and ultimately uplifting crime debut. I love that this book, which focusses on a crime against women, is itself about women and not the man that committed the crime. A story of how, when something terrible happens, you might start to pick up some of the tiny little pieces of your life and try to find a way through. The story, the characters and the city are all vivid and utterly alive and they left me feeling angry and full of adrenaline and love. -- Lucy Ayrton, author of One More Chance
Ian Rankin and the capital's other crime writers are going to have to look to their laurels. There's a new kid in town. * The Scotsman *
...it deserves every accolade. This psychological suspense story is one of the best books of the year...Askew is a writer on the rise. * The Globe and Mail (Canada) *
Claire Askew brought us a new kind of crime story in 2018. ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS is a taut and thoughtful look at toxic masculinity, public tragedy and the women left picking up the pieces. * The List *
UK publisher Hodder & Stoughton touts ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS as its lead crime debut of the year, and it's not just hype. * Toronto Star *


The aftermath of an Edinburgh college shooting is seen through the experiences of three women: a victim's
mother, the shooter's mother and the detective in charge of the case. Raw, powerful, compassionate and
deeply moving, with page-turning tension to the end.
* The Sunday Times *





Author Biography: Claire Askew is an award-winning poet and novelist. Her debut novel, All the Hidden Truths, won the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize as a work in progress, and was selected as a Times Crime Book of the Month. Claire has won numerous other accolades for her work, including the Jessie Kesson Fellowship and a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. She lives in Edinburgh.