'Stunning' - Sunday Times

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

About the Author
Claire Askew's debut novel All The Hidden Truths won the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize as a work in progress, and the 2019 McIlvanney Debut Crime Fiction Award. Two of her novels have been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. Her fourth novel, A Matter of Time, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Crime Novel of the Year 2022. Claire is also a poet and non-fiction writer and she lives in Carlisle.

Reviews
Engaging * Literary Review *
Askew tackles her third Edinburgh procedural with confidence in her original plot structure, warm characterisation and a credible story that resonates * Sunday Times Crime Club *
Thoroughly engrossing series * Sunday Sport *
It's as good as Rankin! * The Peterborough Telegraph *
Stunning * The Sunday Times *
This is the first of Askew's books I've read and I wasn't disappointed . . . I enjoyed being able to jump along for the ride on the back of Birch's hunch to dig up the truth * Daily Record *
A smart, thoughtful, intriguing crime novel. I absolutely adore this series, for me it contains one of the more realistic characters in the modern book world of policing * LoveReading *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529327373
Author Claire Askew
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Hodder Paperback
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 240g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 26mm