Catherine Steadman

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . . Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

a novel

Something in the water

“A powerful family and a deadly game. Be prepared for a nail-biting, roller-coaster of a ride” (B. A. Paris, author of Behind Closed Doors), from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act “The Holbecks are what you might come up with if you took the Roys from Succession and blended them with the Murdochs, the Macbeths, and the Borgias. . . . Let the fun begin!”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) THE RULES 1. Listen carefully 2. Do your research 3. Trust no one 4. Run for your life Harriet Reed, a novelist on the brink of literary stardom, is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful family. And even though Edward has long tried to severe ties with them, news of the couple’s upcoming marital bliss has the Holbecks inching back into their lives. As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, the family seems perfectly welcoming. So when Edward’s father, Robert, hands Harriet a tape of a book he’s been working on, she is desperate to listen. But as she presses play, it’s clear that this isn’t just a novel. It’s a confession. A confession to a grisly crime. A murder. And, suddenly, the game is in motion. Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is part of a plan to test her loyalty or something far darker. What is it that Robert sees in her? Why give her the power to destroy everything? This might be a game to the Holbeck family—but losing could still prove deadly. READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME . . .

A Novel

The Family Game

When Nina’s father dies, she is left something in his will: a house that she never knew existed, a gleaming dream vacation home in a balmy tropical paradise. She’ll find out the hard way that what you inherit from those you love can end up costing your life in this heart-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water. Nina, still grieving from the loss of her father, discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands—a vacation home she had no idea existed, until now. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father come into enough money for this? Why did he keep it from her? And what else was he hiding? Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is a nanny for the superrich. The money’s better, and so are the destinations where her work takes her. Just one more gig, and she’ll be set. Finally, she’ll be secure. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home—her days are spent luxuriating by the pool, in the sauna. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. That room is off limits. But her curiosity might just get the better of her. And soon, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid. In this paradise, you might not like what you see.

Look In the Mirror

A rich, eccentric family. A time-honored tradition. Or a lethal game of survival? One woman finds out what it really takes to join the 1% in this riveting psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water. Harry is a novelist on the brink of stardom; Edward, her husband-to-be, is seemingly perfect. In love and freshly engaged, their bliss is interrupted by the reemergence of the Holbecks, Edward's eminent family and the embodiment of American old money. For years, they've dominated headlines and pulled society's strings, and Edward left them all behind to forge his own path. But there are eyes and ears everywhere. It was only a matter of time before they were pulled back in . . . After all, even though he's long severed ties with his family, Edward is set to inherit it all. Harriet is drawn to the glamour and sophistication of the Holbecks, who seem to welcome her with open arms, but everything changes when she meets Robert, the inescapably magnetic head of the family. At their first meeting, Robert slips Harry a cassette tape, revealing a shocking confession which sets the inevitable game in motion. What is it about Harry that made him give her that tape? A thing that has the power to destroy everything? As she ramps up her quest for the truth, she must endure the Holbecks' savage Christmas traditions all the while knowing that losing this game could be deadly.

Stockholm

"Once a year, actors from across the globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every cable network and studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls, anxious, desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to make it ... British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native country, but now it's time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia flies across the Atlantic to join the hoard of talent scrambling for their big breaks. She's a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless world of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another actress from out of town and a kindred spirit ... She stands out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees. But a simple favor turns dark when Emily disappears and Mia realizes she was the last person to see her, and the woman who knocks on Mia's door the following day claiming to be her new friend isn't the woman Mia remembers at all. All Mia has to go on is the memory of a girl she met only once...and the suffocating feeling that something terrible has happened. Worse still, the police don't believe her when she claims the real Emily has gone missing. So Mia is forced to risk the role of a lifetime to try to uncover the truth about Emily, a gamble that will force her to question her own sanity as the truth goes beyond anything she could ever have imagined"--Provided by publisher.

The Disappearing Act

THE NEW GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MR NOBODY AND SOMETHING IN THE WATER A woman has gone missing But did she ever really exist? Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her. Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong. In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real and how much are you willing to risk to find out the truth? Praise for Catherine Steadman 'A thriller for our times' Louise Candlish 'A proper page-turner' New York Times 'Fans of The Silent Patient will love it' CJ Tudor 'Had me racing through the pages' Sarah Vaughan 'An enjoyable, nail-biting ride' Observer 'Original, ingenious and utterly gripping, with characters you'll really care about as they race towards the brilliantly unexpected ending' JP Delaney 'From the intriguing opening to the shocking ending, I loved it...' CJ Tudor 'Very clever, brilliantly compelling, another amazing read from Catherine Steadman' BA Paris 'A highly imaginative tale tinged with Hitchcockian tension and kinetic pacing... Deliciously provocative... Delightfully compelling' Washington Post 'Perfectly paced with an exciting race to the end, this is one clever novel' Woman's Weekly

Pod woda

Dolt i vatten

E se a vida dos seus sonhos se tornasse seu maior pesadelo? Erin é uma documentarista, e está numa fase ótima no trabalho. Mark é um investidor com um futuro brilhante pela frente. Eles são o casal ideal, e tudo em sua vida parece perfeito. Mas será mesmo? Certa manhã, durante a lua de mel deles na ilha tropical de Bora Bora, os dois saem para mergulhar e acabam encontrando uma bolsa batendo no casco da lancha. Não há vestígio de outra lancha por perto nem de nenhuma embarcação. Então eles levam a bolsa para o hotel e, tomada pela curiosidade, Erin pega uma tesoura e começa a cortá-la. O que encontra lá dentro, porém, não é nada do que imaginava. Seria essa bolsa a maior sorte da vida deles? Ou seu maior pesadelo? Agora, os recém-casados precisam fazer uma escolha difícil: dizer a verdade ou proteger seu segredo. E a decisão que tomarem naquele momento pode mudar a vida deles para sempre...

Um mar de segredos

  O femeie a dispărut. Dar, oare, a existat ea vreodată cu adevărat?

  Mia Eliot, o actriță britanică, speră să dea lovitura în Statele Unite, așa că pleacă în Los Angeles, pentru a participa la competiția feroce din sezonul de filmare a episoadelor-pilot, când toate rețelele de televiziune și toate studiourile de producție sunt în căutarea unui serial de succes. E perioada în care, la Hollywood, sosesc tineri dornici să se remarce, oameni gata să facă orice pentru a reuși în carieră.

  Mia se simte ca peștele pe uscat la Hollywood. Și descoperă foarte repede latura sinistră a strălucitorului oraș când, după un casting, dispare Emily, o actriță cu care făcuse cunoștință de puțin timp. Mia înțelege că nimic nu e ce pare a fi și că, în orașul unde toate visurile se pot împlini, bântuie și cele mai înfiorătoare coșmaruri.

Dispariția

Gotowi czy nie, gra się rozpoczyna… Harriet Reed jest pisarką u progu literackiej sławy. Właśnie zaręczyła się z Edwardem Holbeckiem, członkiem niezwykle potężnej rodziny, przyszłym spadkobiercą ogromnej fortuny. I choć Edward od dawna próbuje odciąć się od Holbecków, to nadchodzący ślub wydaje się dobrym momentem na odnowienie rodzinnych relacji. Harriet jest pozytywnie zaskoczona. Holbeckowie może i są nieco ekscentryczni, mają też nieco dziwne tradycje i lubują się w nieszablonowych grach, ale poza tym wydają się bardzo sympatyczni. Dlatego więc kiedy ojciec Edwarda, Robert, wręcza Harriet kasetę z nagranym pomysłem na książkę, dziewczyna postanawia jej wysłuchać. W momencie, w którym Harriet wciska przycisk odtwarzania, staje się dla niej jasne, że nie jest to fabuła przyszłej powieści. To wyznanie. Przyznanie się do makabrycznej zbrodni. Morderstwa. I wtedy rozpoczyna się gra. Zdezorientowana i przerażona Harriet zastanawia się, dlaczego właśnie ona otrzymała kasetę. Czy to test jej lojalności? A może coś znacznie mroczniejszego? Co takiego dostrzegł w niej Robert, że podzielił się z nią swoim największym sekretem? Przecież prawda może wszystko zniszczyć…

Rodzinna gra

A woman has gone missing. But did she ever really exist? Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her. Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong. In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk to find out?

Catherine Steadman

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