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What You Pay For

On sale

22nd August 2019

Price: £8.99

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Selected: ebook / ISBN-13: 9781473673090

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FROM THE AUTHOR OF ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS, WHICH IS SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD AND WON THE MCILVANNEY DEBUT PRIZE

‘(a) meticulous and compelling novel about the aftermath of a major crime and its effect on the affected families and investigating officers both. Set in Edinburgh, too’ – Ian Rankin

‘Askew asks intricate moral questions, while never ignoring the rigours of crime’ – Daily Mail

DI Helen Birch faces a terrible choice – family or justice? – in the gripping second novel from the author of All the Hidden Truths

DI Birch joined the police to find her little brother, who walked out of his life one day and was never seen again. She stayed to help others, determined to seek justice where she could.

On the fourteenth anniversary of Charlie’s disappearance, Birch takes part in a raid on one of Scotland’s most feared criminal organisations. It’s a good day’s work – a chance to get a dangerous man off the streets.

Two days later, Charlie comes back. It’s not a coincidence. When Birch finds out exactly what he’s been doing all those years, she faces a terrible choice: save the case, or save her brother. But how can you do the right thing when all the consequences are bad?

As she interrogates Charlie, he tells his story: of how one wrong turn leads to a world in which the normal rules no longer apply, and you do what you must to survive.

From one of the most acclaimed new voices in crime fiction, What You Pay For is a brilliantly tense and moving novel about the terrible disruption caused by violence and the lines people will cross to protect those they love..

What's Inside

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Reviews

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Praise for All The Hidden Truths
Daily Mail
Stunning debut... compellingly written.
Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said
Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn't tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction.
Heat
As scarily plausible as it is utterly captivating, this is an absorbing and unforgettable debut.
The Sunday Times
Moving and memorable.
Guardian
Splendid debut... thoughtful and well-written.
Jenn Ashworth
An intricate, pacy, risky and intriguing novel.
Cara Hunter
Vivid and powerful
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Praise for What You Pay For
Sunday Times Crime Club
Ambitious
The Scotsman
Askew is a master of dialogue ... Birch is a great character ... There's a pleasing vein of dark humour ... The breakneck pace and adrenaline will leave readers as spent as the sleep-deprived DI Birch
The Skinny
Intriguing and brilliant
Mail on Sunday
Another top-notch slice of Scottish noir
The Sunday Times
Askew is a writer to watch
Daily Mail
Askew asks intricate moral questions, while never ignoring the rigours of crime
The Scotsman Book of the Year
Explosive... the breakneck pace and adrenaline rushes will leave readers as spent as the sleep- deprived DI Birch
Daily Record
We all need some escapism right now and Claire Askew's latest book is the ideal read to help you swap your worrying Covid-19 thoughts for something grimy and gripping