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The Clearing

By: Simon Toyne
Narrated by: Shazia Nicholls, Hugh Ross
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Summary

From the author of the Sanctus series comes a brilliant new serial killer thriller featuring forensic specialist Dr Laughton Rees and Detective Inspector Tannahill Khan

Women are going missing
Something deadly lurks in the forest around Cinderfield. Locals put the unusually high number of disappearances down to transients or runaways; some even blame the Cinderman, a figure of local legend rumoured to haunt the woods looking for unsuspecting victims.

Vanishing without a trace
Forensic specialist Laughton Rees doesn’t believe in monsters. Already investigating the area’s history of missing women, news of the latest ‘runaway’ Maddie Friar brings her to Cinderfield to find out the truth.

No one’s talking
But, from the gruff leader of an off-grid commune to the mysterious Earl who presides over the crumbling abbey in the heart of the forest, everyone in Cinderfield has something to hide

But what lies in the shadows?
As Laughton searches for answers, with the help of DCI Tannahil Khan back in London, someone is watching – cataloguing her every move, prepared to do anything to keep their dark secrets from coming to light

©2023 Simon Toyne (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
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Critic reviews

‘Scared the bloody daylights out of me. The very definition of haunting. Toyne is a guru of suspense writing, and this is him at the top of his craft. Makes for a breath-taking read.’ Helen Fields

‘In the spirit of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta… Toyne makes the most of her creepy setting, and effectively conceals the truth behind the legend of the Cinderman until she’s ready to reveal it. Everything here suggests that Rees merits a long series run.’ Publisher’s Weekly

‘Simon Toyne is one of the best storytellers writing today, but even by his high standards, The Clearing is something really special. In a story where not everything is as it seems, and as creeping death stalks the claustrophobic Forest of Dean, the returning Laughton Rees desperately searches for a missing girl, unaware that there are much bigger things at stake than the maybe-not-a-myth Cinderman. The pacing is frantic but not rushed, the tension is almost unbearable, and the ending is genuinely one of the most jaw-dropping ones I’ve read in a long time. Absolutely superb.’ M.W. Craven

What listeners say about The Clearing

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Difficult detail

The complications of the explanatory text for me I got lost in the over detail

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Fast moving

Great story. Hope there’s more to come in this series so we can see whee as t happens to Laughton and tannerhill

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Characterisation is brilliantly descriptive and the story is portrayed well with the usual twists that are expected of Toyne.

Compelling listen from start to finish. Even listened to it at work if I could.

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Brilliant follow up

Great storyline, fast moving and exciting. Enjoying getting to know the characters better. Excellent narration.

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What a brilliant book

A superb storyline , fast moving a great characters .. Narration is also spot on ..
Really hoping there will be more I. This series . Highly recommend

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