Sixteen Horses

CWA Debut Dagger, longlisted Waterstones Thriller Book of the Month Between the Covers, BBC Two, 2021
“Here is a literary thriller unafraid to take chances, bending genre rules to its will” New York Times

Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community — disappearances, arson and mutilations — all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself.

The investigation

A horse’s eye, open in the dark earth

The Discovery. Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm. Each buried with one eye open, staring toward the low winter sun.

The Investigators. Forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene. Together with Nichols, they begin to uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community — disappearances, arson, and mutilations — all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself.

The Town’s Descent. In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect.

The Race Against Time. As Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth — no matter the cost.

12+ International Editions

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USA hardback edition
Hardback
USA Flatiron Books
United Kingdom paperback edition
Paperback
United Kingdom Mantle
France edition
France Calmann-Lévy
Germany edition
Germany Fischer-Scherz
Japan edition
Japan Hayakawa
Italy edition
Italy Mondadori
Czech Republic edition
Czech Republic Albatros Media
Netherlands edition
Netherlands HarperCollins
Poland edition
Poland Wielka
Russia edition
Russia AST

Stars, dead for millennia, kept faith. They walked out into the night.

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