One street, ten doors, who's the killer?

The street that contains No.4 is a dark place, secrets linger and whispers of a murder haunt it. The residents have learnt to live with its sinister past, but when one of their own returns to hunt for the truth, their welcome is far from warm...

Fifteen years ago, 35-year-old Henry Carr vanished outside his parents' house on a run-down street in Manchester.

Today, a cold case podcast has brought the disappearance to international attention.

Now, a young journalist hopes that she might be able to get the locals to open up. After all, she was one of them. But returning won't be easy; there are many reasons why Ruth fled six years ago.

There's minimal evidence, no body and a street in silence. Yet Henry's elderly and dementia suffering mother, Marianne, appears haunted. She whispers and screams that her son was killed and buried on the street they call home.

With the anniversary of Henry's disappearance fast approaching, Ruth has just days to uncover the truth of what happened to the man she once knew. The more Ruth learns, the more she comes to understand:
It might take a street to keep a secret, but it takes just one woman to set it free...

An addictive cold case psychological thriller

About the Author

S.L. McManus is a secondary school teacher from Manchester. She wrote the first draft of her debut The Secret at No.4 during lockdown, focusing on questions of the complexity of relationships across time and generations, she also wants to see the neighbourhoods she grew up in represented in the crime fiction she loves to read.

Reviews

'Definitely the best book I've read this year. A wonderful cast of real characters, with an emotional, yet gripping, storyline. I was totally engrossed.' Mel Sherratt author of Taunting the Dead

'Atmosphere and tension by the bucket-load, McManus has a natural gift of keeping you glued to the page.' Jonathan Whitelaw author of The Bingo Hall Detectives and The Village Hall Vendetta

'Long-buried secrets, compelling characters and a twist-a-minute plot kept me guessing to the final pages.' R.P. Bolton author of The Perfect House and My Lovely Daughter

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What readers on NetGalley are saying about The Secret at No.4:

'There are very few books that from the first chapter have you hooked but this is most certainly one of them'

'A riveting and satisfying mystery'

'Will keep readers on the edge of their seats'

'Has more twists and turns than you can imagine which makes for an exhilarating read'

'The characters are well-developed and complex'

'The atmosphere in The Secret at No. 4 is palpable'

Book Information
ISBN 9780008553852
Author S.L. McManus
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint HarperNorth
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 24mm