The Night Visitor

Lucy Atkins Quercus. Out now Thrillers with female characters who cannot be trusted are hardly thin on the ground – but this seductive read is an absolute cracker. With her marriage rocky and finances ragged, glamorous TV historian Olivia desperately needs her next book to be a smash. But the sinister and obsessive Vivian, the lonely research assistant who gave her the source material, harbours secrets that could destroy her reputation. So well written, and with such brilliantly believable characters, you’ll relish every page – till you’re tripped up by the final delicious twist. Fantastic.

DEIRDRE O’BRIEN