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Find out moreThe second novel in the DI Birch series from Claire Askew arrives with a whammy of a storyline that hustles along and causes thoughts to skip all over the place. Fabulously readable, What You Pay For was a head down and read in one sitting book for me. Highly recommended.
DI Birch joined the police to find her little brother, who walked out of his life one day and was never seen again. She stayed to help others, determined to seek justice where she could.
On the fourteenth anniversary of Charlie's disappearance, Birch takes part in a raid on one of Scotland's most feared criminal organisations. It's a good day's work - a chance to get a dangerous man off the streets.
Two days later, Charlie comes back. It's not a coincidence. When Birch finds out exactly what he's been doing all those years, she faces a terrible choice: save the case, or save her brother. But how can you do the right thing when all the consequences are bad?
As she interrogates Charlie, he tells his story: of how one wrong turn leads to a world in which the normal rules no longer apply, and you do what you must to survive.
From one of the most acclaimed new voices in crime fiction, What You Pay For is a brilliantly tense and moving novel about the terrible disruption caused by violence and the lines people will cross to protect those they love..
Closing date: 01/05/2021
Vivid and powerful An intricate, pacy, risky and intriguing novel. Splendid debut... thoughtful and well-written. - Guardian
Moving and memorable. - The Sunday Times
As scarily plausible as it is utterly captivating, this is an absorbing and unforgettable debut. - Heat
Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn't tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction. Stunning debut... compellingly written. - Daily Mail
Praise for All The Hidden Truths - .
We all need some escapism right now and Claire Askew's latest book is the ideal read to help you swap your worrying Covid-19 thoughts for something grimy and gripping - Daily Record
Explosive... the breakneck pace and adrenaline rushes will leave readers as spent as the sleep- deprived DI Birch - The Scotsman Book of the Year
Askew asks intricate moral questions, while never ignoring the rigours of crime - Daily Mail
Askew is a writer to watch - The Sunday Times
Another top-notch slice of Scottish noir - Mail on Sunday
Intriguing and brilliant - The Skinny
Askew is a master of dialogue ... Birch is a great character ... There's a pleasing vein of dark humour ... The breakneck pace and adrenaline will leave readers as spent as the sleep-deprived DI Birch - The Scotsman
Ambitious - Sunday Times Crime Club
Praise for What You Pay For - :
ISBN: 9781473673113
Publication date: 02/04/2020
Publisher: Hodder Paperback an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton
Format: Paperback
ISBN: | 9781473673113 |
Publication date: | 2nd April 2020 |
Author: | Claire Askew |
Publisher: | Hodder Paperback an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton |
Format: | Paperback |
Pagination: | 352 pages |
Genres: | Crime / Mystery, Thriller / Suspense, |
Categories: | Crime & mystery, Organized crime, Thriller / suspense, |
Claire Askew is a poet, novelist and the current Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh. Her debut novel in progress was the winner of the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, and longlisted for the 2014 Peggy Chapman-Andrews (Bridport) Novel Award. Claire holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and has won a variety of accolades for her work, including the Jessie Kesson Fellowship and a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. Her debut poetry collection, This changes things, was published by Bloodaxe in 2016 and shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and a Saltire First Book ...
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