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  • Published: 1 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9780241665770
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $34.99

Death At The White Hart





The gripping and brilliant debut crime novel from the universally acclaimed creator of TV series BROADCHURCH

When Detective Nicola Bridge moves back to Dorset from the big city, the last thing she expects is for the picturesque village of Fleetcombe to become a grisly crime scene.

Jim Tiernan, pub landlord, is dead, the body staged with macabre relish on an isolated country road. Nicola soon realises everyone in the village has something to hide.
The hairdresser. The delivery driver. The farmer. And even the little girl, hidden at the top of the playground slide.

Whispers. Rumours. Lies. And somewhere among them, a killer hiding in plain sight.

Because sometimes the smallest villages hide the darkest secrets...

  • Published: 1 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9780241665770
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $34.99

Praise for Death At The White Hart

With a confounding crime and a stellar cast of characters, Death at the White Hart is everything I love in a crime novel, with a community set-up that I hope means this will become a much-loved series

Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

With a confounding crime and a stellar cast of characters, Death at the White Hart is everything I love in a crime novel, with a community set-up that I hope means this will become a much-loved series

Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

Brilliant characterisation and fabulous suspense - as unputdownable as you'd expect from the writer of Broadchurch

Jenny Colgan

Brilliant characterisation and fabulous suspense - as unputdownable as you'd expect from the writer of Broadchurch

Jenny Colgan

A masterclass whodunnit from the creator of Broadchurch - moody, immersive, and surprising too. I didn’t dare hope it would be better than Broadchurch, but it is

Gillian McAllister

A masterclass whodunnit from the creator of Broadchurch - moody, immersive, and surprising too. I didn’t dare hope it would be better than Broadchurch, but it is

Gillian McAllister

Layered, human, suspenseful and surprising - this guy knows how to tell a story, that's for sure.

Lee Child

Layered, human, suspenseful and surprising - this guy knows how to tell a story, that's for sure.

Lee Child

Literally unputdownable. SO pacy and delicious, I loved the stream of new reveals, the plot kept me guessing and the excellent characterisation was my favourite bit. Just a huge treat to read

Marian Keyes

Literally unputdownable. SO pacy and delicious, I loved the stream of new reveals, the plot kept me guessing and the excellent characterisation was my favourite bit. Just a huge treat to read

Marian Keyes

A sleek and sinister debut that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go

Celia Walden, Richard and Judy bestselling author of Payday

A sleek and sinister debut that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go

Celia Walden, Richard and Judy bestselling author of Payday

I loved it. A murder mystery that feels like it’s set right now, packed with vivid characters and a detective I adored – and I didn’t guess who did it. A wonderful book

Russell T Davies

I loved it. A murder mystery that feels like it’s set right now, packed with vivid characters and a detective I adored – and I didn’t guess who did it. A wonderful book

Russell T Davies

Fans of Broadchurch are going to LOVE Death at the White Hart! With its compelling pair of detectives and tense, creepy atmosphere, once you start reading, I defy you to stop.

Shari Lapena

Fans of Broadchurch are going to LOVE Death at the White Hart! With its compelling pair of detectives and tense, creepy atmosphere, once you start reading, I defy you to stop.

Shari Lapena

A disturbing murder, a village with a gruesome past and a new detective determined to uncover the truth. With Death at the White Hart, Chris Chibnall distils his talent for blockbusting screen drama into a deliciously gritty and well-written police procedural. A searing debut crime fans will love!

Janice Hallett

A disturbing murder, a village with a gruesome past and a new detective determined to uncover the truth. With Death at the White Hart, Chris Chibnall distils his talent for blockbusting screen drama into a deliciously gritty and well-written police procedural. A searing debut crime fans will love!

Janice Hallett

A tremendous page-turner. Chris Chibnall marries a cool, sleek police drama with a warm, lived-in sense of his characters' inner lives. The result is exuberant, compassionate, and bewitching

Flynn Berry, author of Reese Witherspoon pick Northern Spy

A tremendous page-turner. Chris Chibnall marries a cool, sleek police drama with a warm, lived-in sense of his characters' inner lives. The result is exuberant, compassionate, and bewitching

Flynn Berry, author of Reese Witherspoon pick Northern Spy

A small town, big heart mystery full of deep dark secrets and cleverly breadcrumbed clues – authentic, pacy, rich and extremely satisfying.

Andrea Mara

A small town, big heart mystery full of deep dark secrets and cleverly breadcrumbed clues – authentic, pacy, rich and extremely satisfying.

Andrea Mara

My kind of story! It grabs you by the throat from the start and doesn't let you breathe easy until the final page.

Tami Hoag, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Liar

My kind of story! It grabs you by the throat from the start and doesn't let you breathe easy until the final page.

Tami Hoag, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Liar

Absolutely brilliant! Death at the White Hart is one of those oh-so-rare crime novels offering up both a palm-sweating switchback of a plot and a richly nuanced psychological glimpse into the hearts and minds of the multi-layered characters who populate its pages. And the cherry atop the sundae? The author’s assured and compelling voice, which is by turns gripping, wry and—dare I say?—literary. Bravo!

Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of the Colter Shaw series

Absolutely brilliant! Death at the White Hart is one of those oh-so-rare crime novels offering up both a palm-sweating switchback of a plot and a richly nuanced psychological glimpse into the hearts and minds of the multi-layered characters who populate its pages. And the cherry atop the sundae? The author’s assured and compelling voice, which is by turns gripping, wry and—dare I say?—literary. Bravo!

Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of the Colter Shaw series

A craftily plotted mystery, full of memorable characters. A fine start to a highly promising new series

John Williams, Mail on Sunday

A craftily plotted mystery, full of memorable characters. A fine start to a highly promising new series

John Williams, Mail on Sunday

A strong pace, good characterisation and an excellent sense of place get this projected series off to a flying start

Laura Wilson, Guardian

A strong pace, good characterisation and an excellent sense of place get this projected series off to a flying start

Laura Wilson, Guardian

Snappy dialogue, confident. Turns expectations of village life on their head

Joan Smith, Sunday Times

Snappy dialogue, confident. Turns expectations of village life on their head

Joan Smith, Sunday Times

Chibnall flexes his talents for characterization and complex plotting in his engrossing first novel. . .As in his TV work, Chibnall gives equal depth to his supporting cast, making the potentially familiar premise feel lived-in and consequential. This deserves a sequel.

Publishers Weekly

Chibnall flexes his talents for characterization and complex plotting in his engrossing first novel. . .As in his TV work, Chibnall gives equal depth to his supporting cast, making the potentially familiar premise feel lived-in and consequential. This deserves a sequel.

Publishers Weekly
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