Herkimer

Publishing Crime Fiction

From best-selling author Susan Wilkins

 

BooksABOUT US

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME

by Susan Wilkins

A psychological thriller.

A prequel to the Detective Jo Boden Case Files

He killed her sister. Now he’s free.

A murdered sister, a killer released from jail, a cop in a deadly battle to uncover the truth.

 DC Jo Boden was eleven years old when her older sister, Sarah, was brutally murdered during her first year at university. Sarah’s boyfriend, Nathan Wade, was convicted of the killing.

Now, sixteen years later, Wade is being released on licence and documentary filmmaker, Briony Rowe, insists she can prove his innocence.

Broken by the tragedy, the Boden family has remained convinced that Wade is guilty. But Jo, who grew up believing her big sister was perfect, is persuaded to examine the evidence that put him behind bars.

Digging into the past, she discovers Sarah harboured some dark secrets of her own. But for her killer, it’s never been over. And he has Jo firmly in his sights.

It Should Have Been Me is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller, set in the contrasting worlds of television and a high-stakes police operation, but with a family tragedy at its heart.

‘A first-rate thriller, tense and twisty . . . Susan Wilkins is a writer at the very top of her game’ – Elly Griffiths

‘Dark and gripping from first page to last, this is Susan Wilkins at her nail-biting best’ – Jessie Keane

Image - Cambridge street with female figure running away. Foreground image of female face

SHE’S GONE by Susan Wilkins

A psychological thriller.

The Detective Jo Boden Case Files Book 1

Marcia Lennox has a life most people would envy: a loving husband, Harry, a beautiful and clever daughter, Phoebe, and a high-flying career. And eighteen-year-old Phoebe has won a place at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country.

But in her third week at university, Phoebe disappears. She leaves her phone, her credit cards and all her possessions in her room. The police suspect the worst and Marcia’s perfect existence begins to unravel.

Clinging to the hope that Phoebe will be found, Marcia discovers her daughter had a secret life she didn’t want to share with her parents. The trail she leaves on social media leads to a very dark place.

And Marcia knows about dark places. Her carefully constructed life is just a front, created to escape her own past. Can she face her demons to save her daughter?

An addictive psychological thriller for fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell and C L Taylor.

Image of book cover She's Gone by Susan Wilkins. A lone female figure standing at a large window looking out onto a dark street.

HER PERFECT HUSBAND

by Susan Wilkins

A psychological thriller.

The Detective Jo Boden Case Files Book 2

Sophie Latham is a successful businesswoman used to getting what she wants. At thirty-nine, with her biological clock ticking, she wants a baby and marriage to her gorgeous personal trainer, Ollie Harmon.

 He’s five years younger, and her family think he’s not good enough. But she marries him three months after they first meet.

 What Sophie doesn’t know, is Ollie has a younger half-sister. Kristin Kelly is a supermodel; used by men her entire life and hounded by the paparazzi, she’s ended up the trophy wife of a controlling billionaire, Sir Gerald Sullivan.

 When Ged is accused of murder, Sophie must choose. Can she lie to the police to protect her fragile sister-in-law? Detective Jo Boden, from the Major Investigations Team, is asking probing questions.

 Inevitably, Ged and Sophie lock horns; then Kristin tells Sophie a terrible secret. Ollie is desperate to rescue his sister from Ged’s abusive clutches. And Sophie knows she must help.

 But how? As Sophie’s fairytale romance spirals into a waking nightmare, she discovers she’s neither as smart nor as good as she thinks.

 A dark psychological thriller full of twists and turns for fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell and C L Taylor.

Image of shadowy male figure in the foreground with female figure walking away. Stormy skies. Cover image for Her Perfect Husband

LIE DENY REPEAT by Susan Wilkins

A psychological thriller.

The Detective Jo Boden Case Files Book 3

A marriage gone bad…

When Cheryl met Xan nine years ago, she was a struggling single parent with a five-year-old son. Xan was her knight in shining armour. Now they have two children, and he’s hell-bent on turning her research work into a business that could make billions. But does he still love her? It doesn’t feel like that to Cheryl, as she tries to turn a blind eye to her husband’s infidelities and rescue her marriage.

 A dangerous affair…

Xan is obsessed with making money. A business deal brings Hannah into his life. She’s a young woman driven by ambition, who knows how to use her looks to get what she wants. He can’t resist her. But the lies they tell each other, and Xan’s wife, Cheryl, soon spiral out of control. And a toxic mix of lust, ambition, and greed drags all three of them down into dark waters.

 A deadly outcome…

The police recover a body from a fast flowing river swollen with winter rain. Detective Jo Boden, from the Major Investigations Team, must ask the question: is it an accident or could it be murder?

 A twisty, page-turning psychological thriller with a shocking ending for fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell and C L Taylor.

Image of house against a night sky a female figure in the upstairs window looking out into the night

SEE ME FALL by Susan Wilkins

A psychological thriller.

The Detective Jo Boden Case Files Book 4

Two sisters in conflict since childhood clash over the truth.

 A brutal assault…

 When Emma wakes up naked and bruised in a strange apartment with no memory of how she got there, she knows she’s been raped. Fearing her assailant is still there, she flees. Her older sister, Rachel, a senior detective and head of the Major Investigations Team, persuades her to go to the police.

 DS Jo Boden is called in to investigate the crime, and the pressure is on to handle the case with sensitivity.

 An inexplicable murder…

 But as the police inquiry unfolds, Rachel suspects Emma is lying. The business partner of Rachel’s husband is found murdered, and Emma becomes a suspect.

 A family ripped apart…

 Can Emma and Rachel overcome their mutual distrust and confront a chilling threat that could wreck both their lives?

 A poignant domestic thriller. Book 4 in the Jo Boden Case Files Series

Image two female headshots to represent two sisters in conflict. Cover for See Me Fall

YOU LEFT ME by Susan Wilkins

A psychological thriller.

The Detective Jo Boden Case Files Book 5

She wants justice. Will she settle for revenge?

A grieving mother…

When Claire loses her daughter to suicide, her world falls apart. Tormented by guilt and her own sense of failure, she’s determined to confront the man she believes drove Ella to it and make him pay.

 A reunion of old friends…

 At a twenty-five-year college reunion, a disparate group of former students, now middle-aged, meet to catch up on each other’s lives. During a summer heatwave, the lies, jealousies and betrayals of the past erupt into anger and recriminations that threaten all their futures.

A deadly threat…

 For DS Jo Boden of the Major Investigations Team, it’s a job she doesn’t want: being a minder for an obnoxious politician at a college reunion. But with a potential killer hiding in plain sight, she’s in a race against time to prevent a murder.

Image - Cambridge street with female figure running away. Foreground image of female face

THE DETECTIVE JO BODEN CASE FILES

Books 1-3

by Susan Wilkins

The Detective Jo Boden Case Files bring together three fast-paced crime thrillers. DS Boden is a tough female cop, part of the major investigation team determined to unravel the secrets and lies that lead to murder in the lonely Fenlands around Cambridge.

SHE’S GONE – Book 1

Marcia Lennox has a life most people would envy: a loving husband, Harry, a beautiful and clever daughter, Phoebe, and a high-flying career.

But in her third week at university, Phoebe disappears. The police suspect the worst and Marcia begins to unravel.

Her perfect existence is just a front, created to escape a dark past. Can she face her demons to save her daughter?

HER PERFECT HUSBAND – Book 2

Sophie Latham is a tough businesswoman used to getting what she wants. At thirty-nine, with her biological clock ticking, she wants a baby and marriage to her gorgeous personal trainer, Ollie Harmon.

 But Ollie has a younger half-sister he’s desperate to protect. Kristin Kelly is a supermodel, the trophy wife of a controlling billionaire, Sir Gerald Sullivan.

When Ged is accused of murder, Sophie finds herself drawn into a web of lies and obsession.

As her fairy-tale marriage spirals into a waking nightmare, she discovers she’s neither as smart nor as good as she thinks.

LIE DENY REPEAT – Book 3

 A marriage gone bad…

When Cheryl met Xan, she was a struggling single parent with a five-year-old son. Now they have two children, and he’s hell-bent on turning her research work into a business that could make billions. But does he still love her?

 A dangerous affair…

A business deal brings Hannah into Xan’s life. She’s a young woman driven by ambition. He can’t resist her. But the lies they tell soon spiral out of control, as a toxic mix of lust, ambition, and greed drags them all into dark waters.

 A deadly outcome…

When the police recover a body from the river, Detective Jo Boden must ask the question: is it an accident or could it be murder?

Image of boxset for Jo Boden Case Files books 1-3 She's Gone, Her Perfect Husband and Lie Deny Repeat

A KILLER’S HEART

by Susan Wilkins

A political thriller

A heart transplant saved Adam Hardy’s life. But as he recovers from surgery, strange visions surface. Adam’s organ donor wasn’t killed in an accident – he was murdered.

As Adam frantically tries to untangle the truth, reports of a deadly new virus start to emerge.

Felicity Oldroyd, the Chief Medical Officer for England, is in a race against time to contain the pandemic. But the way the virus is spreading raises some disturbing questions. Together with police from Counter Terrorism Command, she battles to identify the source of the outbreak and ensure her country’s survival.

Adam’s memory could provide the vital clue. Can he help Felicity and the police get to the truth before it’s too late?

An emotionally charged page-turner full of mystery and suspense. Written before the emergence of Covid-19, this is a prescient political thriller for fans of Michael Crichton, David Baldacci and James Patterson.

Image of Male figure viewing London in the distance . Cover for A Killer's Heart

Reviews

What Readers are Saying

A Killer’s Heart

 Unpredictable, intricately woven… I couldnt stop reading.

Amazon Reviewer

The Informant

An excellent read that is well plotted and unflinchingly told.

Sunday Mirror

It Should Have Been Me

A first rate thriller, tense and twisty… a writer at the very top of her game.

Elly Griffiths

Buried Deep

Compulsive and thoroughly captivating… I read it all in a single tense sitting.

Reader’s Retreat