Sarah Stovell’s ‘powerful and assured’ debut thriller, EXQUISITE, is published in paperback today by Orenda books. It is also available on audiobook from WF Howes, narrated by Katie Scarfe. Sarah will be celebrating the launch at Cogito Books in Hexham at 7.30pm tonight.

The book is already generating huge amounts of praise. It is a Lovereading book of the month, with Shelley Fallows writing: ‘I was completely swept up in the brilliance of Sarah’s carefully constructed plot that had me constantly questioning the outcome and eagerly turning the page… It was a chilling read, expertly crafted and difficult to put down.’ The Sunday Times Crime Club also called it ‘a remarkable debut in the crowded psychological thriller field, written with great sureness of touch and tone — it already feels like a summer bestseller’ in a starred review.

Bo Luxton has it all - a loving family, a beautiful home in the Lake District, and a clutch of bestselling books to her name. Enter Alice Dark, an aspiring writer who is drifting through life, with a series of dead-end jobs and a freeloading boyfriend. When they meet at a writers' retreat, the chemistry is instant, and a sinister relationship develops ... Or does it?

Breathlessly pacey, taut and terrifying, EXQUISITE is a startlingly original and unbalancing psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

The EXQUISITE book tour began on 1st June and runs for 38 days with almost 80 blogs involved - see the poster below to catch up with its journey!

Rights are sold in Germany, France and Sweden.

Sarah Stovell was born in 1977 and spent most of her life in the Home Counties before a season working in a remote North Yorkshire youth hostel made her realise she was a northerner at heart. She now lives in Northumberland with her partner and two children and is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Lincoln University.

Praise for EXQUISITE:

‘EXQUISITE is a powerful and assured debut thriller. Slickly claustrophobic and delicately wrought this arch story of obsessive forbidden love taken to the extreme will have you squirming in your seat even as you're driven to turn the next page. A must-read for 2017’ — Sarah Pinborough, author of BEHIND HER EYES

‘I bloody loved it. So clever, so beautifully written, such brilliant characterisation and THAT ENDING! This book is going to be MASSIVE! It has all the special little things that make it stand out from other psychological thrillers and it had my tummy in knots. I'm going to be shouting about this one for a long time. Definitely in my top reads for 2017’ — Lisa Hall, author of BETWEEN YOU AND ME

‘A perfect literary thriller. A moving, gripping story told in beautiful prose. The twists keep coming until the very last page. I loved this book.’ — Erin Kelly, author of THE POISON TREE

‘Sarah Stovell writes beautifully. In her latest novel she combines that skill with a thrilling dramatic narrative. Exquisite in every way.’ — Essie Fox, author of THE SOMNAMBULIST

‘Whip-smart, lushly written and truly page-turning. I loved EXQUISITE, from the misleading simplicity of the premise and right down through all the dark depths of the she said/she said narrative. Sarah Stovell is a thrilling talent’ — Holly Seddon, author of TRY NOT TO BREATHE

‘Beautifully written and perfectly twisted, I was sucked deeply into the intertwined worlds of Alice and Bo and found myself reading through my fingers, compelled yet terrified at what the outcome might be ... And that ending. Just wow. There could not be a better title for this book’ — S J I Holliday, author of the BANKTOUN series

‘Addictive, terrifying and beautifully written, EXQUISITE is up there with the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read. Fucking awesome’ — Chris Whitaker, author of TALL OAKS

‘Beautifully written, atmospheric and sexy, EXQUISITE is a satisfying psychological thriller with real class' — Cass Green, author of THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR