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A Twist in the River

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A Twist in the River

By: Stig Abell
Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
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A PERFECT DAY. A TWISTED CRIME. THE AWARD-WINNING JAKE JACKSON SERIES RETURNS…

'This series is irresistible' LEE CHILD

'Atmospheric and chilling' ELLY GRIFFITHS

'Totally immersive' ANN CLEEVES

'My favourite new crime series' LUCY FOLEY

'Highly recommend' KARIN SLAUGHTER

A beautiful summer day

When young nurse Claire Davidson goes missing on the riverbank, the only clues left behind are her phone and shoes.

A mystery that sweeps the nation

People disappear all the time, but this case sparks an online frenzy. Amateur investigators descend on the rural idyll. Is Claire Davidson just the story of a swim that went wrong, or could there be truth to the conspiracies?

A killer growing bolder

Then another woman is discovered dead in the river. Jake Jackson, a former detective who came to the countryside searching for peace, must investigate before more lives are lost.

What readers are saying about A Twist in the River

'A great read that moves along quickly' 5 stars

'Well written with believable characters and a fast moving plot' 5 stars

'In the crowded market of crime drama, and murder mysteries, these Jake Jackson books are refreshingly different' 5 stars

'I love the beautiful descriptions of Little Sky' 5 stars

'Reading this book is like visiting family, as you get to know all the characters so well' 5 stars

'An engaging read, well paced and peopled with interesting characters' 5 stars

'I love hearing the adventures of Jake and these books always gives me a sense of calm' 5 stars

'A must-read for anyone seeking an immersive and intelligent crime novel' 5 stars

'Very engaging, well written and very atmospheric – I couldn't put it down' 5 stars

©2026 Stig Abell (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Fiction Crime
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Critic reviews

‘A charming, well-told story with heart’ Daily Mail
'In some bright constellation of the literary universe, gleaming alongside Louise Penny and Tana French and Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths, there's Stig Abell, whose utterly splendid novels – densely plotted, vibrantly written – will absorb any reader of intelligent fiction' A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window
'I love this series' Broadcaster Dermot O'Leary
'Abell has skillfully created a magnetic landscape for his crime fiction hero Jake to patrol – the bucolic idyll with a layer of menace underneath it. Spending time in Jake's company becomes rather addictive' Broadcaster Fi Glover
'Getting lost in the world of Little Sky is an absolute pleasure. The entire series is mysterious, romantic and exciting' Actor Phil Dunster
Praise for Stig Abell
'Atmospheric and chilling but also humorous and always humane' Elly Griffiths
'Terrific characters, locations, action and suspense – this series is irresistible' Lee Child
‘I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive…The writing is very classy’ Ann Cleeves
‘An immersive, intelligent delight with huge atmosphere and heart. My favourite new crime series' Lucy Foley
‘Abell is a skilled storyteller…highly recommend’ Karin Slaughter
‘Utterly beautiful descriptive prose’ Jane Casey
‘A darkly elegant, thrilling, escapist slice of countryside crime’ Chris Whitaker
‘An outstanding debut’ Jeffrey Archer
‘Stylish…a more than promising debut’ The Times
‘An absorbing tale’ Sun
‘A vivid, atmospheric debut’ Daily Mail
‘A cosy crime read with an appealing protagonist’ Guardian
‘Characters so real we feel we know them’ Jeffery Deaver
‘Brilliant, gripping, fantastic … I can’t put it down’ Chris Evans
‘An atmospheric, often meditative, and beautifully written crime novel’ Vaseem Khan
‘A joyful dive into the detective genre’ Observer
‘A tense and twisty crime thriller’ iPaper
‘A wonderful tale, magnificently told’ Sam Holland
‘Beautifully written, with a twist that truly knocked me sideways’ Andrew Taylor
All stars
Most relevant
Loved every minute of this first class book - hooked from start to finish, the writing was so descriptive.

Stunning

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Third instalment of Jake Jackson stories. Always fantastic description of nature. I enjoy the relationships between the characters and the complex stories.

Excellent book

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Felt the incel style villain was a little predictable and the “locally produced cider’, wholesome backdrop a bit twee. This recording seems to now have Jake as Ross Kemp’s younger brother - the mockney accent was new (don’t remember this from the previous books?) and it felt wrong to me. Jake is no longer as compelling or complex as the initial books suggested and that’s a loss in my view…Okay, but unremarkable.

Familiar characters…but too cosy

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