Faceless: The shocking new thriller from the Queen of New Zealand Crime

A stressed, middle-aged man picks up a teenage escort and commits an unspeakable crime, unaware that a homeless man – her only real friend – will do anything to find her. A shocking, unputdownable standalone thriller from New Zealand's Queen of Crime.

'New Zealand's answer to Siobhan Clarke' The Times

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Worn down by a job he hates, and a stressful family life, middle-aged, middle-class Bradley picks up a teenage escort and commits an unspeakable crime. Now she's tied up in his warehouse, and he doesn't know what to do.

Max is homeless, eating from rubbish bins, sleeping rough and barely existing – known for cadging a cigarette from anyone passing, and occasionally even the footpath. Nobody really sees Max, but he has one friend, and she's gone missing.

In order to find her, Max is going to have to call on some people from his past, and reopen wounds that have remained unhealed for a very long time, and the clock is ticking...

Hard-hitting, fast-paced and immensely thought-provoking, Faceless – the startling new standalone thriller from New Zealand's 'Queen of Crime' – will leave you breathless.

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Praise for the Sam Shephard series

'Fast-moving New Zealand procedural ... the Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly' Ian Rankin

'A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading' Kate Mosse

'A really strong mystery with a twist that works very nicely ... The family dynamic and Sam's dealing with the trauma are brilliantly observed' NB Magazine

'If you like taut, pacy thrillers with a wonderful sense of place, this is the book for you' Liam McIlvanney

'Vanda Symon's work resembles Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series she knows how to tell a good story and the NZ setting adds spice' The Times

'Atmospheric, emotional and gripping' Foreword Reviews

'A plot that grabs the reader's attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn't let go' Sunday Times