Haven't They Grown: The addictive and engrossing Richard & Judy Book Club pick

Sophie Hannah's novel "Red All Beth" is a domestic-suspense novel with an existential spin. It follows the story of Beth, who drives her son to his Under-14s away match and watches from across the road as Flora and her children, Thomas and Emily, step out of the car. Except, there's something terribly wrong. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then, still five and three. They haven't grown at all.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 10 December 2020
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Sophie Hannah, a master of plot twists, takes the domestic suspense genre to a thrilling new level with her novel "Fiendishly Clever." The New York Times praises her for her "fiendishly clever" writing, while the Daily Mail describes it as "complex and sinister." The Observer hails her as a "literary high-wire artist," and the Sunday Express warns readers to prepare for sleep deprivation.

The story revolves around Beth, a mother who embarks on a simple task: driving her son to his Under-14s away match, watching him play, and bringing him home. However, just because her former best friend, Flora Braid, lives near the football ground doesn't mean she has to drive past her house and risk dredging up painful memories. Twelve years have passed since Beth last saw Flora, and she hasn't seen her children, Thomas and Emily, in even longer.

But something strange and unsettling happens as Beth parks outside Flora's house and watches from across the road. Flora and her children, Thomas and Emily, step out of the car, and to Beth's surprise, they look exactly as they did twelve years ago. They are still the same age, still five and three years old. They haven't grown a single inch, and they seem to be frozen in time.

Beth can't help but be captivated by their strange appearance. She tries to convince herself that it's just a coincidence, but as she watches them more closely, she can't shake off the feeling that something is not quite right. She hears Flora call them by their names, and they respond as if they recognize her, but there's an eerie detachment in their eyes that sends shivers down her spine.

As the days pass, Beth becomes increasingly obsessed with Thomas and Emily. She spends hours studying their faces, trying to figure out what has happened to them. She researches child development, hoping to find some explanation for their stunted growth. But no matter how hard she tries, she can't find any answers.

Meanwhile, Flora and her husband, John, are also struggling with their own secrets. They have been keeping Thomas and Emily hidden away in a secret room, away from the prying eyes of the world. They are afraid that if anyone finds out about their children, it will ruin their lives.

As Beth's obsession grows, she becomes more and more dangerous. She starts to stalk Flora and her family, trying to get closer to them. She breaks into their house, searching for clues to their whereabouts. And she becomes increasingly convinced that there is something supernatural at work, something that has cursed Thomas and Emily with eternal childhood.

The climax of the novel is a heart-pounding chase through the streets of London, as Beth tries to catch up with Flora and her children. It's a race against time, as Beth tries to save them from the curse that has held them captive for twelve years.

In the end, Beth discovers the truth about Thomas and Emily. They are not cursed, but they are not human either. They are a pair of magical creatures, trapped in the form of children by a powerful spell. And as Beth helps them break free from the spell, she realizes that she has been given a gift, a chance to see the world through the eyes of a child once again.

"Fiendishly Clever" is a haunting and unforgettable novel that will leave readers wondering what it means to be human, and what it takes to break free from the chains of our past. Sophie Hannah's writing is a masterclass in suspense and mystery, and her characters are unforgettable. This is a novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Weight: 256g
Dimension: 197 x 128 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781444776201