The grander the home. The darker the secrets.
From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Escape is an electrifying winter thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah Pearse.
A Perfect Escape
When struggling influencer couple Adele and Jack post a crowdfunding video online, they're amazed by a mysterious benefactor's offer: to buy them an idyllic 17th century French ch teau. It's the lifeline they need to leave all their troubles behind - and patch up their relationship after a rocky period.
A Hostile Town
For Adele, it's a dream come true. She will post videos from the fairytale setting, renovating the grand building as thousands of online subscribers follow their journey. But the ch teau is not all it seems, and the local community is far from welcoming.
A Search For The Truth
Suddenly, Adele stops uploading. The videos stop, her feeds go silent. Her sister Erin travels to France to make sure she's okay, but the couple have vanished. Erin is determined to find them, but is disturbed by Adele's obsessive fans, the unsettling history of the ch teau and the claustrophobic secrecy of the nearby town. And first, she must unravel the shocking truth: why did that anonymous investor gift Adele and Jack their dream home?
About the Author Ruth Kelly is an award-winning journalist who has ghosted a string of Sunday Times top ten bestsellers - most recently The Prison Doctor, which sold over 250,000 copies, and The Governor, which went straight in at number one on the Amazon charts and number five in the Sunday Times bestseller list.
The Villa is Ruth's debut thriller. She's drawn inspiration from her years working as a reporter for national newspapers as well as her experience writing for TV shows, most notably with Endemol, the creators of the original reality show - Big Brother.
Industry Reviews
Dark, immersive, and tantalisingly atmospheric, The Escape is wholly absorbing and completely addictive -- Andrea Mara, Sunday Times bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing
The French countryside is well drawn and the structure of the book has a zippy contemporary feel. An original and fun read * Daily Mail *
I was gripped by the unravelling of the dark secrets in The Escape -- Louise Jensen, bestselling author of The Date
Dark, chilling, atmospheric and page-turning, The Escape is this winter's 'The Hunting Party'. Ruth has her finger on the (racing) pulse of contemporary thrillers, and has delivered yet another winner that reflects the zeitgeist of our somewhat twisted social media-driven age -- Veronica Henry
Devastatingly dark, I couldn't stop turning the pages -- Nikki Smith, author of The Beach Party
A beautifully paced and darkly twisted thriller. It's like being in a deliciously crafted nightmare -- Katy Brent, author of How To Kill Men and Get Away With It
