"The past doesn’t stay buried. It waits for her to come back.
The gripping thrillers that will keep you up all night.
In the summer of 1973, Cassie returns to her coastal Massachusetts hometown. The next day, the town is shaken by a brutal killing – and someone close to her is accused of the crime. The investigation tears through the community, leaving behind guilt, suspicion, and secrets Cassie can’t forget.
Seven years later, Cassie’s life is still defined by that night. An unexpected and inexplicable event gives her a chance to finally uncover the truth. But as she retraces the days leading up to the murder, she begins to realize the story she remembers isn’t the whole one—and that someone has been keeping dangerous watch all along.
Now, hunted by a killer who knows more than she does, Cassie must piece together what really happened before the past and the killer catch up to her."
"Murder, romance, and the discovery of the true nature of her high-powered patron disrupt the life of a sheltered courtesan.
Set in an alternate history world in which women have no rights, Blood and Veil tells the story of beautiful, cultured Gabrielle, who lives and works at a house of courtesans. After uncovering evidence that her patron has committed murder, she plots to bring him down by allying herself with a secret society of wives who will use any means to avenge the wrongs against them.
A 'must read' - Amazon reviewer"
"A boy disappeared. What took him wants her next.
The gripping thriller that will keep you up all night.
After the experience with her sister, Rebecca is troubled by the growing sense that she should be using her unique ability to find children who have disappeared. When she learns about a boy who vanished a year ago, she becomes obsessed by his case.
Frustrated that police and media have made little effort to find 13-year-old Ethan Pitt or publicize his disappearance, she jumps back in time to discover what really happened. Though she struggles to trace his movements, her motivation increases the more she learns about this bright, resourceful child, forced to grow up fast after his widowed mother lost her job and became injured in a car crash.
She soon learns that Ethan may have inadvertently fallen in with some bad influencers and been coerced into doing something illegal. She also wonders if his case might be connected to that of a boy who disappeared a year earlier under similar circumstances.
Rebecca places her past and present lives at deadly risk as she narrows down the suspects and infiltrates the lair of the ruthless manipulator who she thinks must be responsible for Ethan's vanishing."
"“Excellent!” -Kirkus Reviews
When a dangerous conjurer has her father killed, locksmith’s apprentice Tessa and her companions embark on a perilous quest to bring him back to life…
'For those who enjoyed Harry Potter but who seek a feisty, determined female protagonist.' -Midwest Book Review
Tessa, who blames herself for actions that led to her father’s murder, must race against time to steal the conjurer’s most treasured magical artifact—the Dreadmarrow—to restore Papa’s life.
“Stellar!” -SPR Book Awards
While helping Tessa, her companions conceal their own secret motivations for infiltrating the conjurer’s castle. Ash hopes to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of Fellstone’s apprentice, and Calder seeks his long-lost love who has mysteriously disappeared since she became the conjurer’s wife.
“A gripping fantasy adventure, highly recommended.” -Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Tessa can shapeshift into a sparrow using a magical amulet, Ash wields a sword like no other, and Calder carries a bag of tricks that provide defense against a variety of prickly situations.
'A work of classic fantasy.' -The BookLife Prize
But are their combined skills any match for the creatures of the Cursed Wood, the boarmen, the wraiths, and the fiendish conjurer's own insurmountable magic?
Margie Benedict's 'prose is crisp and purposeful, charged with feeling, and always attuned to what will engage readers in each moment.' (The BookLife Prize)"
"Can three unlikely companions, each hiding a secret, survive one deadly quest?
When Tessa Skye’s father is killed by order of a powerful conjurer, her world is turned upside down. As a locksmith’s apprentice with a magical amulet that lets her transform into a sparrow, Tessa is determined to do the impossible, bring him back.
Her only hope lies in stealing the Dreadmarrow, the conjurer’s most prized artifact, said to hold power over life and death.
But she won’t make the journey alone. Ash, a quiet boy with unmatched skill in swordplay, is desperate to avenge his twin brother’s mysterious death. Calder, a wandering fortuneteller with a bag full of clever tricks, is searching for the girl he once loved, now vanished into the conjurer’s shadowy world.
Together, the three must cross the dangerous Cursed Wood, survive attacks by monstrous boarmen and wraiths, and outwit the deadly forces that guard the conjurer’s fortress. Each of them has something to hide. Each of them has something to lose. And if they fail, more than one life may be lost forever.
Full of danger, heart, and magic, Dreadmarrow is a tale of unlikely friendships, unbreakable courage, and the powerful choices that shape who we become, even when all hope seems lost.
Some doors were never meant to be unlocked."
"“Grounded, likable characters with complex emotions anchor this excellent series installment.” -Kirkus Reviews
Tessa (the shapeshifter), Ash (the swordsman), and Calder (the trickster) reunite for a potentially deadly new adventure in Book Two of the award-winning Thieves of Magic series that began with Dreadmarrow and ends with Kingshackle.
“Full-bodied, engrossing, and hard to put down.' -Midwest Book Review
Desperate to cure her mother of the delusion that she’s a bird, Tessa appeals to the conjurer lord in neighboring Blackgrove. Everything goes wrong, however, when he takes Calder hostage and refuses to help until Tessa and Ash bring him the Gravenwood. They set out to steal this magical tablet while romance blossoms between them.
“(Benedict) plots shrewdly, nesting quests within quests and mysteries within mysteries, keeping the story exciting while still finding time to lay bare the hearts of her heroes. She's especially good at setting up puzzles whose solutions, once sprung on the readers, prove delightful.” -The BookLife Prize
But none of them may survive the treachery of the rising despot — unless Tessa can conquer her inner doubts and unlock the secret to becoming a true conjurer.
“A strongly-plotted fantasy adventure packed full of charismatic characters. A finalist and highly recommended to young adults.” -The Wishing Shelf Book Awards"
"“An exciting, inventive finale.” -Kirkus Reviews
Tessa (the shapeshifter), Ash (the swordsman), and Calder (the trickster) reunite for the heart-stopping conclusion of the award-winning Thieves of Magic series that began with Dreadmarrow and continued with Gravenwood.
Quarterfinalist for the 2020 BookLife Prize run by Publishers Weekly
Ash is missing and must be found. Confounding the matter, the Conjurer King Slayert launches an attack against the remaining free cities. Saving the world falls to our three heroes, who reunite to steal Slayert’s own crown, called the Kingshackle—a magical artifact that makes him invincible.
'A powerful and fitting conclusion to the series... Very highly recommended.' -Midwest Book Review
But their success depends on Tessa winning the King’s Challenge, the ultimate test of her intelligence, valor, and heart.
'(Benedict's) masterful pacing makes her novel a quick read. The story takes readers through a bevy of betrayals, startling deaths, and exhilarating action…” -Kirkus Reviews"
"'Fans of sci-fi mysteries and strong female characters should snap up this psychological page-turner.' -Publishers Weekly
Two women thousands of miles apart. One a scientist stranded on an island with an untrustworthy male colleague and a hostile alien stalking them. The other—a thief wrongfully imprisoned for murder—lives in fear of assault by a corrupt prison guard. Neither can overcome the invaders that threaten their survival without solving the mystery of the link that binds them.
“A short, briskly paced novel that's full of entertaining plot twists.' -Kirkus Reviews"
"The past doesn’t stay buried. It waits for her to come back.
The gripping thriller that will keep you up all night.
In the summer of 1973, Cassie returns to her coastal Massachusetts hometown. The next day, the town is shaken by a brutal killing – and someone close to her is accused of the crime. The investigation tears through the community, leaving behind guilt, suspicion, and secrets Cassie can’t forget.
Seven years later, Cassie’s life is still defined by that night. An unexpected and inexplicable event gives her a chance to finally uncover the truth. But as she retraces the days leading up to the murder, she begins to realize the story she remembers isn’t the whole one—and that someone has been keeping dangerous watch all along.
Now, hunted by a killer who knows more than she does, Cassie must piece together what really happened before the past and the killer catch up to her."
"She travels back in time to learn who kidnapped her sister—only to be taken in her place
The gripping thriller that will keep you up all night.
What happened to Sadie? This question has plagued 25-year-old Rebecca Danser for 19 years. Imagine if at the age of six, you had ditched your four-year-old sister to go play with your friend … and then you never saw her again.
In the intervening years, now living in Silicon Valley, Rebecca has made a mess of her life. She hates her job, has no career prospects, and has never had a successful relationship unless you count sex with a relative stranger during her time jumps into the past.
But soon she realizes this strange ability she recently gained, allowing her to cast her consciousness back into a younger version of herself, can be used to discover who took Sadie that fateful day.
She must travel back in time to witness the event with her 6-year-old eyes. But what she learns leads her into a remote forest in the Sierra Mountains… where the monster responsible for the destruction of her family lies in wait for her."
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
