The Darkest Secret

Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.

My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family's holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.

When identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.

But what really happened to Coco?

Over two intense weekends - the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father - the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed...

Taut, emotive and utterly compelling, an unputdownable 'ripped from the headlines' novel that you will want to talk about with everyone you know.

Long-listed for Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2017 (UK)

“Oh my god, it is SO good. A work of genius . I'm in awe”

A genuinely shocking thriller where nothing is what it seems. So good I wish I'd written it myself. - Val McDermid, Sunday Times Number 1 Bestseller

A chilling thriller with a deftly woven plot: this is Marwood's best yet. - Clare Mackintosh, Number 1 Kindle Bestseller

Oh my god, it is SO good. A work of genius. I'm in awe - Mark Edwards, Number 1 Kindle Bestseller

Alex Marwood's The Darkest Secret is a feast of a novel, a modern Greek tragedy with believable characters, a heart stopping plot and a brilliant triple jump of an ending that left me clutching the book. I haven't read anything so satisfying in a long time. I loved The Wicked Girls, but this is even better - Jenny Eclair

With the psychological acuity of Kate Atkinson and a dark wit all her own, Alex Marwood draws us into The Darkest Secret with utter narrative cunning, then surprises with its emotional wallop, its deeper resonances. In so doing, she demonstrates, without a doubt, that she is one of crime fiction's brightest stars. Not to be missed. - Megan Abbott

Simply tremendous, so tense and packed with pathos. I loved every page of it. - Sarah Hilary

I made the mistake of thinking I could read a couple of pages and then spend the weekend writing. Well, that was not the case. A few pages was not enough, in fact, nothing was enough until I had finished it. I think it is taut storytelling at its best and by the end I was breathless. I actually didn't realise I was holding my breath until I turned that very last page. - Angela Marsons, Number 1 Kindle Bestseller

A taut, claustrophobic look into toxic relationships and family secrets. I couldn't put it down as more and more layers were revealed, with suspense and intrigue creating a tense and satisfying read. - Mel Sherratt

Alex Marwood is the pseudonym of a journalist who has worked extensively across the British press. She is the author of the word-of-mouth sensation The Wicked Girls, which won a prestigious Edgar Award, The Killer Next Door, which won the coveted Macavity Award, The Darkest Secret and The Poison Garden. She has also been shortlisted for numerous other crime writing awards and her novels have been optioned for the screen. Alex lives in south London.

Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family's holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.When identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.But what really happened to Coco?Over two intense weekends - the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father - the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed...Taut, emotive and utterly compelling, an unputdownable 'ripped from the headlines' novel that you will want to talk about with everyone you know.

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