The Birthday Girl

Welcome to Eldey, an island with deadly secrets. Mona: a carefree artist, staying at the Cloister to work on her illustrations. Beth: the harried mother of a toddler, on the remote Welsh island for a weekend with her family. Charlotte: a reluctant stepmother who wanted a romantic getaway with her husband. One of them is a serial killer who poisoned four of her friends at her eleventh birthday party. They all fit the profile. Who will risk everything to kill again? An absolutely gripping Welsh crime novel, perfect for fans of Sarah Pearse and Lucy Foley. 'A brilliant Christie-esque page-turner with an amazing sense of location' Catherine Cooper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalet 'Atmospheric, tense, with lots of twists and turns, I couldn't put this down. With a nod to Agatha Christie, the sharp narrative builds to a nail-biting climax.' Simon McCleave, author of The Dark Tide 'A pitch-perfect start to a new thriller series' Michael Wood, author of Silent Victim 'There is more than a whiff of Agatha Christie here, which made The Birthday Girl so satisfyingly compelling that I read into the small hours to finish it' Alis Hawkins, author of A Bitter Remedy 'Suspense and intrigue abound in this gripping, claustrophobic murder mystery set on a sinister Welsh island' Roz Watkins, author of The Devil's Dice 'Takes the classic Christie-esque trope of a remote location and a closed circle of suspects and reinvents it for the 21st Century, weaving a tale of murder, madness, and revenge. I absolutely loved it.' Amanda Mason, author of The Hiding Place 'Sharp, elegantly written, and dripping with suspense. A wonderfully crafted 'closed room' mystery that had me turning the pages at record speed.' J. A. Corrigan, author of The Nurse 'Cleverly plotted, full of twists and intrigue, with an ending that is both dramatic and satisfying' Jane Bettany, author of In Cold Blood 'A taut, intelligent thriller, elegantly written with an eerie atmosphere and an addictive plot. I utterly love this sharp, clever new series!' Victoria Dowd, author of A Book of Murder 'The Birthday Girl is a satisfying contemporary page-turner with more than a whiff of Christie's Golden Age locked-room mysteries about it. Compelling reading!' Marnie Riches, author of All The Pretty Ones Reader praise for The Birthday Girl 'A masterpiece of gothic, atmospheric, Agatha Christie-like mystery. If you love a good locked room style murder mystery, want a book that could keep you up all night guessing, or just want an absolutely thrilling read, The Birthday Girl is for you!' 'This thriller was absolutely amazing. It was gripping, full of suspense and this was perfect for grabbing you and not letting you go. Two days later and I still can't stop thinking about this!' 'This has truly been one of my favorite reads of all time. I truly was guessing until the end. This book will stay with me forever.' 'Absolutely loved this. It kept me guessing throughout and I could not put it down. Fantastic read.' 'I was hooked on this, so much so that I got up at two a.m. and read until four.' 'Gripping, dark, atmospheric and thrilling ... The best novel I have read this year.'

Sarah Ward is a critically acclaimed crime and gothic thriller writer. Her book, A Patient Fury, was an Observer book of the month and The Quickening, written as Rhiannon Ward, was a Radio Times book of the year. Sarah is a former Vice-Chair of the Crime Writers Association, Trustee of Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival and an RLF Fellow at Sheffield University.