Secrets of Strangers by Jess Kitching

A propulsive thriller about a writer who gets caught up in the case of a missing woman, for fans of Lisa Jewell, Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware.

After suffering a loss, Janine and her husband, Kamal, need a fresh start. They leave their family and everything they know in Manchester and move to Bamblethorpe, a picturesque Lancashire village where they expect nothing but peace and quiet. It’ll be just what Janine, a thriller writer, needs to work on her next manuscript.

But the peace of their new village life is disrupted when longtime local Alexa Clarke goes missing. Did she leave her husband, like some people suspect? Or is there credibility to the rumours that something more nefarious has happened to Alexa?

Frozen by writer’s block, Janine stumbles into investigating Alexa’s disappearance, and the more she discovers about Alexa’s life, the more complicated things become. Nothing is as it seems, and Janine begins to realise that there are disturbing parallels between Alexa’s life and her own.

What starts as curious procrastination quickly spirals into a tangled web of secrets, lies and a truth Janine may not be ready to face … if she survives.

A propulsive thriller about a writer who gets caught up in the case of a missing woman, for fans of Lisa Jewell, Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware.

About the Author: Jess Kitching is an avid reader, writer and binge-watcher. Originally from Bradford, England, she lives in Canberra, Australia. Visit jesskitchingwrites.com or Instagram @jesskitchingwrites.

28 Apr 2026
 

The Secrets of Strangers by Jess Kitching ISBN 9781761633218