Richard Armitage

A bold and unpredictable debut thriller set in the biotech world (and deceptive beauty) of Switzerland, by acclaimed actor Richard Armitage. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier has taken a step back from work to spend more time with her family. Movie nights with her husband Daniel and their daughter Maddie are a welcome respite from the scrutiny of the world's press. As much as it hurts, it's good to be able to see her father more too. He's suffering from Alzheimer's and needs special care. Sarah has started to show tell-tale signs of the disease too. She's been experiencing blackouts and memory loss. It's early days but she must face the possibility that she won't be there to see her daughter grow up. Daniel, a neuroscientist himself, is doing his best to be supportive but she already knows that she will have to be the strong one. For all of them. So when Sarah is invited to be the guest of honour at a prestigious biotech conference in Geneva she declines, wanting to stay out of the public eye-that is until Daniel shows her the kind of work that the enigmatic Mauritz Schiller has been developing. Flown first class to the spectacular alpine city and housed in a luxury hotel, Sarah and Daniel are thrust back into the spotlight. As they try to shut out the noise of the public media storm, in private Sarah is struggling with her escalating symptoms. And the true extent of what Schiller has achieved is a revelation. This is technology that could change medicine forever. More than that, it could save Sarah's life. But technology so valuable attracts all kinds of interest. Wealthy investors are circling, controversial blogger Terri Landau is all over the story, and someone close to Schiller seems bent on taking advantage of the situation for themselves. Sarah feels threatened and does not know who to trust-including herself. Far from being her lifeline Schiller's technology may be her undoing. As events spiral out of control, Sarah and Daniel are faced with the ultimate question: how far would you go for someone you love?

The stunning new psychological thriller from novelist and multi-award winning film actor Richard Armitage. You can't escape your past. The cut always reopens. In the sleepy village of Barton Mallet, the old ruins of Blackstone Mill watch over the residents and their quiet lives. Ben Knot and his friends are looking forward to a summer of fun and freedom once their last year of high school is over. The class of 1994 have been through a lot together, but teasing turns to bullying when the Knot gang targets young Mark Cherry. As violence escalates, the group fractures and tragedy strikes. Before the summer is over, one of them will be killed. Murdered by someone they called a friend. Thirty years later, Ben is an award-winning architect who has moved his family back to Barton Mallet. His girlfriend, Dani, is a lovely stepmother to his children-budding actor Nate and star athlete Lily-but even though the family is happy, Ben has never been able to forget the tragedy of the past. And it's a past that is quickly coming back to haunt him, with the murderer's imminent release from prison. Ben's glittering career is also starting to tarnish as some shady business deals have put him on the path to bankruptcy. With the killer's parole date approaching-and the banks calling in their loans-Ben struggles to keep a grip on his perfect life. When Nate lands the leading role in a new horror film, Dani jumps at the chance to propel him towards stardom. But when the film crew descends on the village, the dream starts to turn into a nightmare. The film is not quite what it seems. Ben's children are being pushed to the limit, and his paranoia makes him question the film makers' motives. Ben is desperate for answers and will stop at nothing to keep his family safe. If the first cut is the deepest, then the last cut is going to end it all.