It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The Text

The Text

A short story

Summary

**A new short story from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Local Girl Missing and Last Seen Alive. Her newest novel, Do Not Disturb, is out now!**

A single text changed her life. Did it end his?

Emily Latimer is furious. Her boss Andrew is being so unreasonable, as always. She fires off a text to her boyfriend, only in her haste she sends it to her whole office group.

In it she says Andrew's being difficult about letting her have time off work. That she is angry. That she hopes he dies. The next day her face burns in the office. No one believes her when she says it was a typo, she meant to say does. She hopes he does.

It's a nightmare. But it gets worse - Andrew doesn't turn up for work. And then the police come knocking. Because Andrew Burton has been murdered . . .

Praise For Last Seen Alive

'Thrillingly tense and twisty, a great read' B A Paris, the bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors

'I loved the sense of lurking dread that pervades it all . . . I was absolutely gripped and intrigued' Emma Curtis, the bestselling author of One Little Mistake

'Fast-paced and chock-full of twists, Last Seen Alive is both absorbing and gripping. After reading it you'll never dream of a house swap again' Paula Daly, author of The Mistake I Made

'Brilliant. Twisty, exciting yet so very real' Gillian McAllister, the bestselling author of Everything But the Truth

'Thrilling . . . superb plotting. I could hardly catch my breath between twists!' Jenny Blackhurst, the bestselling author of Before I Let You In

'I love stories when you're not quite sure who is telling the truth! This one kept me guessing' Jane Corry, the bestselling author of My Husband's Wife

Reviews

  • A free kindle short from Sunday Times bestselling author in which sending the wrong text may turn out to be deadly
    -

About the author

Claire Douglas

Claire Douglas worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women's magazines and national newspapers, but had dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award with her first novel, The Sisters.
She is a Sunday Times bestseller and a frequent Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Her books have sold nearly two million copies in the UK alone.
She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more