Cover Your Tracks

Claire Askew won the Scottish Debut Crime Award with her debut All the Hidden Truths, praised as ‘A meticulous and compelling novel’ by Ian Rankin.

‘What if I told you,’ he said, ‘that I believe my mother’s life to be in danger?’

Robertson Bennet returns to Edinburgh after a 25-year absence in search of his parents and his inheritance. But both have disappeared. A quick, routine police check should be enough – and Detective Inspector Helen Birch has enough on her plate trying to help her brother, Charlie, after an assault in prison. But all her instincts tell her not to let this case go. And so she digs.

George and Phamie Bennet were together for a long time. No one can ever really know the secrets kept between husband and wife. But as Birch slowly begins to unravel the truth, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.

Beautifully written and ingeniously plotted, Cover Your Tracks confirms Claire Askew as a major new talent in crime fiction.

Praise for Claire Askew’s novels:

‘Stunning debut… compellingly written’ – Daily Mail

‘A meticulous and compelling novel about the aftermath of a major crime and its effect on the affected families and investigating officers both’ – Ian Rankin

‘Splendid debut… thoughtful and well-written’ – Guardian

‘Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn’t tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction’ – Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said

‘Moving and memorable’ – The Sunday Times

‘A fine, thought-provoking debut’ – Mail on Sunday

‘Claire Askew takes us away from the obvious plot and asks us tantalising questions… an absorbing psychological trio for Askew’s thought-provoking entry into crime fiction’ – The Times

Reviews of Cover Your Tracks

Vivid and powerful * Cara Hunter * An intricate, pacy, risky and intriguing novel * Jenn Ashworth * Splendid debut… thoughtful and well-written * Guardian * Moving and memorable * The Sunday Times * As scarily plausible as it is utterly captivating, this is an absorbing and unforgettable debut * Heat * Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn't tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction * Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said * Stunning debut… compellingly written * Daily Mail * Praise for All The Hidden Truths * – * Askew asks intricate moral questions, while never ignoring the rigours of crime * Daily Mail * Askew is a writer to watch * The Sunday Times * Another top-notch slice of Scottish noir * Mail on Sunday * Intriguing and brilliant * The Skinny * Askew is a master of dialogue … Birch is a great character … There's a pleasing vein of dark humour … The breakneck pace and adrenaline will leave readers as spent as the sleep-deprived DI Birch * The Scotsman * Ambitious * Sunday Times Crime Club * Praise for What You Pay For * : *