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Published Dec 2023
416 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
Acclaimed, internationally bestselling author Caz Frear ratchets up the suspense in this outstanding standalone psychological thriller - a gripping tale of revenge, loyalty, and the secrets hidden between the walls of the most beautiful home in town.
Ellen Walsh has done something very, very bad. If only she knew what it was...
Teacher, mother, wife, and all-around good citizen Ellen is juggling nonstop commitments, from raising a teen and two toddlers to job-hunting to finally renovating her dream home, the Meadowhouse. Amidst the chaos, an ominous note arrives in the mail, declaring:
People have to learn there are consequences, Ellen.
And I'm going to teach you that lesson.
Right under your nose.
Why would someone send her this? Ellen has no clue. She's no angel—a white lie here, an occasional sharp tongue there—but nothing to incur the wrath of an anonymous enemy. She'd never intentionally hurt anyone.
But intention doesn't matter to someone. Someone blames this supposed "good person" for all the bad they've experienced. And maybe they have reason to? Because few of us get through life without leaving a black mark on someone else's. Could the five bad deeds that come to haunt Ellen explain why things have gone so horribly wrong?
As she races to discover who's set on destroying her reputation and her future, Ellen continues to receive increasingly threatening messages...each one hitting closer to everything she cherishes.
"[A] devastating suspense novel...Frear keeps readers on their toes from the start, but what elevates this above standard genre fare is the freshness and acuity of her language...This is a must-read for fans of Tana French and Gillian Flynn." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[T]he characters and the mystery itself are elevated by expert pacing; snappy, believable dialogue; and colorful metaphors...As a commentary on what some people will sacrifice for social status and the long-reaching consequences of childhood trauma, the novel is a psychological triumph. Well-plotted and deliciously edgy." —Kirkus Reviews
"A twisty domestic-suspense thriller...will likely appeal to readers of Shari Lapena, Sally Hepworth, Jamie Day, and Melissa Adelman." —Booklist
"A dark, addictive, suburban nightmare. Five Bad Deeds is an edge-of-your-seat, up-all-night delight." —Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
"A big high-five for Caz Frear's Five Bad Deeds—a page-gripping, nail-gnawing good read." —Cara Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of Murder in the Family
"Caz Frear writes with depth, intensity and insight as she relentlessly turns the screws of suspense. An involving, layered, and thrilling story of secrets, lies, and revenge, Five Bad Deeds takes us far beneath the surface of suburban bliss into the dark heart of human desire. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Riveting!" —Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
This information about Five Bad Deeds 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.
Caz Frear has a degree in History & Politics, and when she's not agonizing over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at Arsenal football matches. Her first Cat Kinsella mystery was Sweet Little Lies. She grew up in Coventry, England, where she now lives.
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