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Sixteen Horses

A BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club Pick

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Sixteen Horses

By: Greg Buchanan
Narrated by: Louise Brealey
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About this listen

** FEATURED ON BBC TWO'S BETWEEN THE COVERS **

'Unlike anything else you'll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible' - Val McDermid, author of Still Life

'Totally gripping from start to finish' - Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient

'Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting' - Sophie Hannah, author of Haven't They Grown

Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community – disappearances, arson and mutilations – all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself.

In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect. And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries – no matter the cost.

Sixteen Horses is the debut literary thriller from an extraordinary talent, Greg Buchanan. A story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind . . .

 Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary

Critic Reviews

Unlike anything else you’ll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible (Val McDermid)
Dark, visceral and disturbing, this highly suspenseful and beautifully written thriller is totally gripping from start to finish. A hugely impressive debut (Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient)
Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting. I won't forget this novel (Sophie Hannah, author of Haven't They Grown)
A breath-taking debut . . . written with immense panache. This is crime writing of a striking calibre, which constantly surprises as it takes unexpected twist after twist — leaving you desperate for more
Utterly gripping, exquisitely written [. . .] Haunting and very dark, this is certainly worth the read
Sometimes you come across a work of fiction so staggeringly good, it’s almost impossible to find words that can do justice to its brilliance and adequately describe how it made you feel. In the end, all that needs to be said is this: read it, read it, read it (B. P. Walter, author of The Dinner Guest)
Compelling . . . The corkscrew twists leave you begging for more
Utterly brilliant. Poetry and cinema at once. If this isn’t one of the biggest titles of 2021 I’ll eat my hat (CJ Cooke, author of The Nesting)
Poignant, chilling, eerie, and gruesome, Sixteen Horses is a thriller with a literary soul, perfect for fans of Netflix's Dark or BBC's Top of the Lake. Buchanan impressively balances horror and empathy, showing real evil while also exploring the human cost of economic collapse. A unique, ambitious debut that left me shocked and enthralled (Sara Sligar, author of Take Me Apart)
A dark, ambitious, and highly intelligent thriller . . . This complex, often gothic tale is definitely an eye-opener
All stars
Most relevant
Performance was good but it was hard to tell apart the characters as the voice never changed.
The story was good at the start and had me captivated by the middle but then it sort of got lost by two thirds of the way through and just a let down by the last couple of chapters.
I would really have to think hard about this author for another story.

All right but not fantastic

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A good example of an author trying to be too clever. Hopping from various musings only made the story confusing and disjointed.
Who were the victims… the animals, the people the town?
Not sure I cared enough to work it out.

Confused and bored

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To hard to follow. Didn't finish listening to it. would never listen to another one by the same author

hard to follow

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