Editorial Content for What You Left Behind

In 2014, a new talent in the psychological thriller genre emerged in the form of British author Samantha Hayes. Her debut novel, UNTIL YOU’RE MINE, was an unpredictable, Hitchcockian affair involving a series of attacks on pregnant women and an expectant mother who hires a nanny who may have unsavory desires towards her unborn child.

With that release, we were also introduced to a few of the diligent detectives working the case who eventually figured out the puzzle and nabbed the villain. One of those was Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher. In this novel, Fisher is on holiday and has chosen to spend it at the home of her sister, Jo, in the sleepy yet upscale rural village of Radcote.

"WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND is sure to send chills up the spines of even the most hardened thriller fans. Samantha Hayes once again has shown her skill for creating tension and unpredictable plots that will keep everyone guessing right up to the last few pages."

Unfortunately for Fisher, her vacation will not be very relaxing. It seems Radcote is just getting over a series of teen suicides that riddled the area the prior year. When another adolescent boy is found dead --- apparently having driven his motorcycle into a tree at high speed --- rumors begin to float through the town that the suicides may be starting up again.

The most susceptible to this is Fisher’s young nephew, Freddie. Freddie is not the most popular boy in school and has become seriously withdrawn and sullen as of late. His family does not know what to do and fears the worst. Little do they know that Freddie has been receiving particularly nasty cyber-bullying messages that have escalated to the point of suggesting he is a loser who should kill himself.

The question that arises is: Were all these suicides somehow connected, and was some evil force behind them? Also, will Fisher be able to sort out all the clues and rumors in time to stop further deaths --- including her nephews? Sinister forces are alive and well in Radcote, and there are hidden secrets that need to be uncovered before the threat is vanquished.

There are many unique relationships in this village, and Hayes is able to get under the readers’ skin as each page seems to reveal more and more of the suicide plot and what is actually behind it. Specifically, the character of the young autistic boy who sees more than anyone realizes and has an uncanny talent for capturing it in drawings is especially interesting. When a second death due to suicide occurs, things begin to spin madly out of control and you will wonder if it is at all possible to stop the inevitable from happening.

WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND is sure to send chills up the spines of even the most hardened thriller fans. Samantha Hayes once again has shown her skill for creating tension and unpredictable plots that will keep everyone guessing right up to the last few pages. She has a great character in DI Fisher, and I trust we will see more of her and her colleagues in successive novels in what is shaping up to be a top-notch thriller series.