Shetland season 9 starring Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell.

Reading lists

9 must-read books for Shetland fans

Final Cut

From the multi-million-copy bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep

The bestselling author of the phenomenon million-copy-bestseller, Before I Go To Sleep, returns with a sensational psychological exploration of a seaside community who'll do anything to protect the secrets of a lifetime . . .

'Creepy and packed with suspense and menace, it draws the reader into a community that has more than its fair share of skeletons to hide.' Daily Mail 
 
The phenomenal new thriller from the multi-million-copy bestselling author. 
 
__________ 
 
Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to ordinary people. 
 
It used to be a buzzing seaside destination. But now, ravaged by the effects of dwindling tourism and economic downturn, it's a ghost town - and the perfect place for film-maker Alex to shoot her new documentary. 
 
But the community is deeply suspicious of her intentions. After all, nothing exciting ever happens in Blackwood Bay - or does it? 
 
Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to an extraordinary secret. 
 
__________ 
 
READERS ARE GRIPPED BY FINAL CUT 
 
'Thrilling to the end, and will keep you guessing' &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; 
 
'Full of twists, turns and great atmosphere' &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; 
 
'A brilliantly crafted thriller' &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; &amp;#11088; 
 
 
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING 
 
'Dark and twisty, and full of surprises and so smartly done' Joanna Cannon 
 
'I loved that behind this disturbing and clever plot there's a genuinely heartrending story.' Emma Curtis 
 
'The master storyteller S J Watson is back with another clever psychological thriller' Woman &amp; Home 
 
'An intriguing and unsettling new thriller' Fabulous 
 
'Watson adroitly [brings] the strands of his story together to create a disturbing journey to a shocking truth' The Observer 
 
'S J Watson has done it again. Even more compelling than Before I Go To Sleep' Lesley Kara

Watson adroitly [brings] the strands of his story together to create a disturbing journey to a shocking truth

Creepy and packed with suspense and menace, it draws the reader into a community that has more than its fair share of skeletons to hide.

Dark and twisty, and full of surprises and so smartly done.

S J Watson has done it again. Even more compelling than Before I Go To Sleep

S J Watson, pacing his story with mesmerising expertise, keeps you so invested in the fates of his characters

I loved that behind this disturbing and clever plot there's a genuinely heartrending story.

An intriguing and unsettling new thriller.

If you go down to Blackwood Bay, you're in for a dark surprise. FINAL CUT is a masterfully tense, taut and terrifying thriller.

There are so many twist and turns I was out of breath when I finished

An expertly crafted thriller. Claustrophobic and unnerving. Watson at his very best.

Incredibly atmospheric and captivating. I loved the way the mystery unfolded.

Watson is fascinating on the ins and outs of memory, and paces his story with mesmerising expertise.

S. J. Watson's first novel, Before I Go To Sleep, became a phenomenal international success and has now sold over 6,000,000 copies worldwide. It won the Crime Writers' Association Award for Best Debut Novel and the Galaxy National Book Award for Crime Thriller of the Year. The film of the book, starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, and directed by Rowan Joffe, was released in September 2014. S. J. Watson's second novel, Second Life, a psychological thriller, was published to acclaim in 2015. 
 
S. J. Watson was born in the Midlands and now lives in London.

Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to ordinary people. 
 
It used to be a buzzing seaside destination. But now, ravaged by the effects of dwindling tourism and economic downturn, it's a ghost town - and the perfect place for film-maker Alex to shoot her new documentary. 
 
But the community is deeply suspicious of her intentions. After all, nothing exciting ever happens in Blackwood Bay - or does it? 
 
Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to an extraordinary secret.

Second Life

She's living two lives. She might lose both.

A Fatal Attraction for the digital age, but with a crucial twist . . . Watson is a master at turning the screw.

A gripping read - deftly plotted, with convincing characters and an unsettling premise that builds to a truly disturbing conclusion. Second Life is ample proof that Watson is no mere one-hit wonder.

A gripping, contemporary thriller, this is the sort of thing you'll plough through in a hurried weekend of page turning.

A fierce, captivating portrait. Julia's disintegration is heartbreaking and underlines what a formidable presence Watson has as a writer: a star is confirmed.

Simultaneously believable and terrifying...An edgy, disturbing read.

Taut and twisty, it'll keep you up all night

This dark, tense, psychological thriller will keep you up all night

Tension-driven...packed with suspense and surprises

A gripping, addictive thriller from the bestselling author of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP. 
 
‘Simultaneously believable and terrifying...An edgy, disturbing read.’ Observer 
 
She loves her husband. 
She’s obsessed by a stranger. 
 
She’s a devoted mother. 
She’s prepared to lose everything. 
 
She knows what she's doing. 
She’s out of control. 
 
She’s innocent. 
She’s guilty as sin. 
 
She’s living two lives. 
She might lose both. 
 
‘A Fatal Attraction for the digital age, but with a crucial twist . . . Watson is a master at turning the screw.’ Evening Standard 
 
‘A gripping read - deftly plotted, with convincing characters and an unsettling premise that builds to a truly disturbing conclusion. Second Life is ample proof that Watson is no mere one-hit wonder.’ Independent 
 
‘Taut and twisty, it'll keep you up all night’ Glamour 
 
‘This dark, tense, psychological thriller will keep you up all night’ Fabulous magazine, Sun on Sunday 
 
‘Tension-driven...packed with suspense and surprises’ Woman &amp; Home 
 
READERS LOVE SECOND LIFE: 
 
‘More twists and turns than a roller coaster’ 
 
‘Thought I had it all worked out but I didn't see the final twist coming!’ 
 
‘Reserve a weekend for it as you won't want to put it down until the very end’ 
 
‘Thought provoking, thrilling and at times frightening’ 
 
‘Fantastic, gripping and thrilling’ 
 
‘I just didn't want it to end. Superb!’ 
 
‘I twice forgot to get off my bus, I was so engrossed’

S J Watson

Quite simply the best debut novel I've ever read

Brilliant in its pacing, profound in its central question, suspenseful on every page  - and satisfying in its thriller ending

A deft, perceptive exploration of a fascinating neurological condition, and a cracking good thriller

A terrific first novel - well-written, genuinely unsettling and psychologically very plausible. Thrillers seldom come much better than this.  Loved it, read it in one

An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page

So high-concept, so ambitious and so structurally brilliant.  It's so rare to read a thriller that's perfect in every detail, but this one definitely qualifies!

A deeply unsettling debut that asks the most terrifying question - what do you have left when you lose yourself?

A truly amazing debut. The central character, Christine, is beautifully drawn. It's hard to imagine a more compelling, believable and sympathetic portrayal of a damaged human being. I loved it from start to finish

Memories define us. 
 
So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. 
 
Welcome to Christine's life. 
______________ 
 
PRAISE FOR BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP: 
'A cracking good thriller' Lionel Shriver 
'Thrillers seldom come much better than this. Loved it' Joanne Harris 
'So high-concept, so ambitious and so structurally brilliant' Sophie Hannah 
'A deeply unsettling debut that asks the most terrifying question - what do you have left when you lose yourself?' Val McDermid 
'I loved it from start to finish' Mo Hayder 
'Brilliant in its pacing, profound in its central question, suspenseful on every page' Anita Shreve 
'Quite simply the best debut novel I've ever read' Tess Gerritsen

S J Watson

Books by S J Watson

Articles featuring S J Watson

9 must-read books for Shetland fans

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