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  • Published: 2 March 2021
  • ISBN: 9780552176583
  • Imprint: Corgi
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $22.99

The Memory Wood




Gripping, twisty and addictive, this unique and heart-wrenching thriller has received unprecedented support from readers, press and authors alike. The must-read thriller of the year.

Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It's the only home he's ever known.

Elissa has only just arrived. And she'll do everything she can to escape.

When Elijah stumbles across thirteen-year-old Elissa, in the woods where her abductor is hiding her, he refuses to alert the police. Because in his twelve years, Elijah has never had a proper friend. And he doesn't want Elissa to leave.

Not only that, Elijah knows how this can end. After all, Elissa isn't the first girl he's found inside the Memory Wood.

As her abductor's behaviour grows more erratic, chess prodigy Elissa realises that outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat-and-mouse game of deception and betrayal will determine both their fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood . . .

  • Published: 2 March 2021
  • ISBN: 9780552176583
  • Imprint: Corgi
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $22.99

About the author

Sam Lloyd

Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, making up stories and building secret hideaways in his local woods. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. The Memory Wood is his debut thriller.

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Praise for The Memory Wood

I was pulled into The Memory Wood from the very first page—it grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let you go. It’s an intense, atmospheric, and truly original thriller. Put everything else aside when you enter the Memory Wood, including your expectations…

Shari Lapena

What a book! I haven't read anything quite this exciting since Room. You think all the stories have been told, then something like this comes along. Wonderful.

Emma Curtis

Remarkable. Stunning prose and compulsive reading. It's undoubtedly the best thriller I've read in a long, long time.

Lesley Kara

I was captivated by The Memory Wood – a beautifully told, dark and chilling tale.

Renee Knight

Brilliant writing, a terrifying story, and characters so real it feels like you know them. If you enjoy dark, twisty thrillers that stay with you, read this book.

Samantha Downing

The Memory Wood is impossible to put down. It's so wonderfully written, creepily atmospheric and chilling.

Karen Hamilton

A truly chilling story.

Woman & Home

A chilling, suspense-filled and heart-wrenching read.

Herald

An atmospheric thriller.

That’s Life (Crime Scene Magazine)

A totally gripping novel that locks you into their cat-and-mouse game of survival. If you’re bored of thriller-by-numbers, you’ll love this original and twisty page turner.

17 Degrees Magazine

Beautifully told, with two superbly drawn young protagonists, Lloyd is a rare new thriller talent.

Daily Mail

What makes this book special is the marvellously executed subterranean power game. Superbly creepy, with an unexpected twist, this is a very grim modern fairytale.

Guardian

A beautifully written, fast-paced thriller with twists and turns as dark as the cell in which Elissa is confined. We devoured it in a matter of hours.

Heat

The narrative irresistibly grips as it twists.

SAGA

The dreamy nature of the story slowly dissipates as the danger deepens, leaving this reader with pounding heart and sweating palms.

Observer

Forget everything you think you know about thrillers. The Memory Wood is a compulsive page-turner where visceral horror meets Grimm fairytale – a story that’s guaranteed to burn itself into your brain . . . Every twist and distortion evokes a physical response – you’ll be breathless with anticipation, tingling with hope, and numb with dread from beginning to end.

Press Association

A darkly chilling and original novel . . . a series of twists keeps readers captivated until a shocking climax.

Daily Express

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Article
Sam Lloyd Q&A

Debut author Sam Lloyd on the chess tournament that inspired his thrilling novel, The Memory Wood,