Charlotte waves at her mother across the crowded lawn. Little red boots on, cowboy hat crooked over her blonde pigtails, she's been looking forward to this party for weeks. Moments later, she disappears without a trace...

Kathy Hamilton drives away from her sister-in-law's pristine-white suburban house in Maple Falls certain she's left her daughter in safe hands. On the hottest day of the year, a birthday is the perfect excuse to gather friends, family and neighbors around the pool for a barbecue. But when she returns hours later to find her little girl has vanished, her world shatters.

Nobody laughing and drinking in the garden that day saw anything unusual.

Kathy's eldest daughter is anxious and hardly eating. Is she sick with worry for her sister, or hiding a terrible secret?

The phone rings and rings, but why can't Kathy get hold of the babysitter?

And is she imagining it, or when her husband rushed from work to join the search, was he wearing a different shirt to the one she saw him leave the house in that morning?

As the temperature rises, and long-buried secrets begin to surface, it's clear that even the most perfect families keep devastating secrets. But in a town as small as this, is there anyone you can trust?

A totally gripping and utterly addictive page-turner that will have you racing through and reeling at the twists. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Gone Girl and Teresa Driscoll, it will keep you up reading all night long!

Everyone is talking about The Birthday Party:

'Wow, wow, wow!!!!! I am totally speechless... I was on the edge of my seat... I could not put this book down for the life of me. I had to finish... I could not eat or sleep until I found out what happened.' Blue Moon Blogger, 5 stars

'OMG... my heart is still racing... spectacular... a roller-coaster ride... a surprise at every twist and turn... left me reeling. Without doubt this is my book of the year.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Hooked!! Start-to-finish! So many secrets, so many twists and turns... you will be kept riveted.' NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

'Absolute gem of a book. I couldn't put this one down... devoured page after page... superb and I 100% need more... a spectacular read that kept me guessing throughout.' Little Miss Book Lover 87, 5 stars

'WOW!... a must read. The twists and turns never stop all the way to the very last page!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Just wow! Could not put this down! All I can say is get this book. You won't be disappointed. One of the best books I've read this year.' [...] 5 stars

'Oh Boy! Oh Boy!!!... OMG!... the BEST BOOK I have read this year! OMG... just Brilliant.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars