Pretty Little Things

In the spirit of Halloween I asked the team to answer the following question: What book would you never read alone in an empty house? Don't forget to look below for your chance to win two of our most terrifying reads...   Laura: I have started Misery by Stephen King many times. I have only ever finished it once, in broad daylight, in a park full of people. My reason for this was simple. Passers-by could come to my aid should Annie Wilkes decide to jump out from behind a tree and smash a typewriter over my legs before dragging me off into the wilderness. When reading Misery you cannot help but picture the film. But I urge you to read the book. It is the kind of read that has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish as obsessive fan Annie flits between the personas of, carer, tormentor and would-be murderer to author Paul Sheldon. The build-up of suspense between Annie and Paul is staggering and when you reach the end I guarantee that your heart will be in your mouth. Helen: Anything by Neil White! I love Neil's books, I really do, but he sure does know how to set up a gruesome murder scene. He's a master of suspense, and as his killers stalk their victims, you know that someone's about to meet a seriously sticky end. I'm currently working on his new book, Beyond Evil, and it's opening scene stayed with me long into the dark October nights. Imagine, if you will, the victim tied to a bed. Behind him, a wall daubed in his own blood. And his body, with blood, guts, bones and sinew on show to the world, after having had a full autopsy carried out on it. Whilst he was still alive... Chilling? Gruesome? Oh yes. But I couldn't wait to find out who was behind it all. Brilliant stuff. Hannah: When I'm not checking every single cupboard and wardrobe in the house for skulking murderers, double-checking under my bed for the odd rapist, closing the curtains tight so that the lone eye of a madman can't peep through, and convincing myself that I can hear breathing coming from underneath my bed, I am reading crime and thriller fiction. I can't help it, I'm obsessed, and nothing will dissuade me from plunging into the latest in the genre. Read More

Which book has haunted you the most? Read on to find out what keeps The Killer Reads team up at night... The Terror of Living by Urban Waite Oh yes, the title says it all. Of course I expected to be scared by this one, and - praise be! - I wasn't disappointed. The thing is, it starts off so quietly. It's all very modern-day Western; Phil Hunt dons his Stetson, saddles his horse and heads off into the North American mountains to pick up a very special delivery. There's beautiful scenery, a nice travelling companion, and time spent just enjoying the good old open road. But of course, this is a drug run and the package at the other end contains $100K worth of cocaine. Perhaps he was too busy admiring the view, but Hunt is soon busted by an off-duty cop. As he makes his escape, the traffickers set out to reclaim what's theirs, and believe you me, this - this - is the scary bit. Read More

Killer Reads: What inspired you to write Pretty Little Things? Jilliane Hoffman: My daughter was just eleven years old when a classmate of hers started a texting relationship via cell phone with a boy she’d met on the internet. She had pretended she was sixteen and he had claimed he was a teen, as well. This classmate then passed the telephone numbers and email addresses of all her fourth grade friends along to her new cell phone pal. The friends, being eleven year old girls, thought the whole thing was pretty funny and so they continued the ruse and ‘told’ this stranger that they were all 16. Read More

A terrifying new standalone psycholgical thriller from the bestselling writer of ‘Retribution‘, Julliane Hoffman Special Agent Bobby Dees knows what grief feels like. He understands the pain of losing a child. And he’ll do whatever he can to prevent it from happening again. The phone call that… Read More

Jilliane Hoffman's... Pretty Little Things Pretty Little Things is the 4th novel from former Assistant District State  Attorney Jilliane Hoffman. After her fantastic debut Retribution, Hoffman has gone from strength to strength and Pretty Little Things is no exception. A terrifying, spine-chilling tale that is set to get your pulse racing. Inspired by both her experience as a felony prosecutor in Miami and her worst fears as a mother to two young teenage daughters, Hoffman describes it as "the most personal, frightening thriller I’ve ever written". Read the first couple of chapters here Buy now from Amazon Read More

Queen of the pyschological thriller, Jilliane Hoffman has first hand experience of being at the frontline of complex criminal investigations. She's a former Assistant State Attorney Read More

Jilliane Hoffman is due to publish her much anticipated 4th novel Pretty Little Things in February 2010.  A new standalone thriller it introduces us to Special Agent Bobby Dees.  An officer whose own daughter is currently missing, Dees gets called onto the case of the recently dissapeared Elaine Emerson and seems to be… Read More