Available Formats
Paperback, Large Print Edition
Published: 14th January 2025
Paperback
Published: 14th January 2025
Hardback
Published: 8th April 2025
Clever Little Thing: A taut, powerful and gripping psychological thriller with a twist you'll never forget!
By (Author) Helena Echlin
Headline Publishing Group
Headline Book Publishing
14th January 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Horror and supernatural fiction
Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss
Paperback
352
Width 152mm, Height 232mm, Spine 30mm
422g
'Goosebumps! Sharp and unflinching . . . this is a perfectly unnerving story with something to say about the collision of motherhood's love and fear' ASHLEY AUDRAIN
'A cleverly constructed psychological thriller about the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her children . . . incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy, and I know that last chapter will stay with me for a very long time' ASHLEY TATE----Charlotte's daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant - perhaps even a genius - but after the sudden death of Stella's babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what's more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their lives Has Stella somehow become Blanka As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it's clear that her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is sure only she can save her daughter . . . Told through a singular, chilling voice, Clever Little Thing holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, this is an ode to motherhood and a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic finale.Helena Echlin has written for numerous publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Guardian and The Times. She taught at Stanford University for eight years and has recently returned to the UK, where she now teaches fiction writing for Oxford University's Department of Continuing Education. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children.