The Boy That Never Was

Genuinely surprising

Guardian

Stunning

Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club

I shot through this in one sitting. Like Gone Girl, it's told alternately by a husband and his wife. At the very beginning, something very shocking happens . . . It's the most gripping thing I've read for ages

Evening Standard

A truly remarkable novel. The Boy That Never Was is a pitch-perfect balance of driving plot and honest, complex human emotion. Written in a captivating, lyrical style and brilliantly structured, the story grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go

Jeffrey Deaver

Beautifully written, tense and twisty tale

Sunday Mirror

Gripping from its dramatic opening chapter, this tense, unpredictable novel blends a thriller with an intimate family story to produce a most compelling read

John Boyne

This assured debut is equal parts thriller, mystery and fascinating psychological study

Irish Times

Taut, smartly written, empathetic and at times unbearably tense . . . The Boy That Never Was hits the bullseye

Irish Independent

A debut novel that will catch fire

Nelson DeMille

A twist-filled page-turner

Closer

A tense domestic thriller that is full of surprises

Irish Mail on Sunday

One of those unique books that grips you from the start . . . climaxing in an unexpected and explosive twist that we simply didn't see coming. This isn't a relaxed read, but it is dramatic and thrilling

Irish Country Living

The Boy That Never Was is that powerful thing, a beautifully written mystery driven by its exploration of the characters' innermost hearts - of the inexorable ripples that loss sends out, and the terrible damage people can do to those they love most. Both as a crime novel and as an emotional journey, it's gripping stuff

Tana French