Death at the White Hart
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jun 10, 2025
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
“Layered, human, suspenseful and surprising - this guy knows how to tell a story, that's for sure.” —Lee Child, # 1 New York Times bestselling author
“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
From the internationally award-winning creator of Broadchurch comes a brilliant new detective story following one man’s death and the secrets that unravel in a coastal English village
Nothing keeps a village together like secrets.
The villagers of Fleetcombe like to think of it as one of the most picturesque spots on England’s coast.
But now, it’s a disturbingly macabre crime scene.
A man is found dead, tied to a chair in the middle of the road, a stag’s antlers on his head. The gruesome scene stuns the town, especially when the victim is identified: Jim Tiernan, who ran the White Hart pub. Tiernan’s pub is at the center of village life and he knew everyone’s secrets.
Detective Nicola Bridge grew up in Fleetcombe and has now returned, for the good of her family, from a life away in Liverpool. DC Harry Ward is ten years younger and, despite his newcomer status, determined to earn Nicola’s trust. Because they don’t have long to crack the storybook façade and find out just what the people of Fleetcombe have to hide.
And now, in the place she thought she knew so well, Detective Nicola Bridge is asking questions. Is she ready for what she’s about to find?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Broadchurch creator Chibnall flexes his talents for characterization and complex plotting in his engrossing first novel. Det. Sgt. Nicola Bridge, 38, has recently transferred from the Liverpool CID to her childhood home of Fleetcombe, a small West Dorset village. She hopes the transfer will bring her a quieter work life that doesn't put additional strain on her fraying marriage. Almost as soon as she arrives, however, Nicola is assigned to investigate a murder: the bloody body of Jim Tiernan, landlord of the White Hart pub, has been discovered tied to a chair in the middle of the road, a huge crown of deer antlers attached to his head. As Nicola and her rookie DC, Harry Ward, examine the theatrical murder, they discover an undercurrent of crime, lies, and cruelty flowing just beneath Fleetcombe's placid surface. Nicola is an exceptionally well-rounded sleuth whose personal challenges—including her philandering husband—help explain her aptitudes as a sensitive and skilled observer. 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.
