Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2014
304 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
I know her inside out. I know what she's thinking, I know what she wants. So I can't give up on her, she knows I never will.
Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last forever.
They met in high school when Rachel was the shy, awkward new girl and Clara was the friend everyone wanted. Instantly, they fell under one another's spell and nothing would be the same again. Now in their late twenties Rachel has the television career, the apartment and the boyfriend, while Clara's life is spiraling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound. Then Rachel's news editor assigns her to cover a police press conference, and she is shocked when she arrives to learn that the subject is Clara, reported missing. Is it abduction, suicide or something else altogether?
Imagine discovering something about your oldest friend that forces you to question everything you've shared together. The truth is always there. But only if you choose to see it. In Colette McBeth's Precious Thing.
"Starred Review. Debut author McBeth's Gone Girl–style psychological thriller will be a widespread hit for fans of dark drama with questionable narrators, including S. J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep (2011), Sabine Durrant's Under Your Skin (2013), and Karen Perry's The Innocent Sleep (2014)." - Booklist
"McBeth imbues her characters with layers upon hidden layers, keeping readers guessing until the end." - Publishers Weekly
"A darkly fraught friendship lies at the heart of this spellbinding thriller." - Kirkus
Reviews from the UK, where published in 2013
"[A] cleverly crafted tale... If you're a fan of Gone Girl, you'll love this." - Sunday Mirror
"A provocative and intriguing debut that will leave you questioning how well you know your own childhood friends." - Jilliane Hoffman
"'Draws you into the dark side of friendship with breath-taking skill - this gripping thriller had me hooked from the start." - Sarah Rayner, author of One Moment, One Morning
"'An intriguing debut' - Sun
"A great debut, menacing, gripping and full of twists and surprises...This is one of those incredibly compelling stories that simply drags you along, whether you like it or not. Highly recommended." - Lovereading.co.uk
"Precious Thing is one of my top five books of 2013. Truthfully, I would go on for hours about what I loved about this psychologically disturbing, thoroughly readable, cleverly written book." - Fabulousmag.co.uk
"Keep your eyes peeled this summer for an astonishing new talent... Gone Girl but with a Brit voice." - David Mark, author of Dark Winter
This information about Precious Thing was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Colette McBeth was a BBC TV Crime Reporter for ten years. She lives in West London with her husband and three young children. She attended the Faber Academy Novel Writing Course in 2011. Precious Thing is her first novel. Visit her at colettemcbeth.com.
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
