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When I Was Ten

A Gripping, Heart-in-mouth Thriller from the Author of Into the Dark

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When I Was Ten

By: Fiona Cummins
Narrated by: Olivia Dowd
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‘GRIPS LIKE A VICE’ – Val McDermid

'Absorbing, tense and beautifully paced' - Daily Mail

Twenty-one years ago, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were killed in what has become the most infamous double murder of the modern age.

Their ten year-old daughter – nicknamed the Angel of Death – spent eight years in a children’s secure unit and is living quietly under an assumed name with a family of her own.

Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down her older sister, compelling her to break two decades of silence.

Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and journalist Brinley Booth, a childhood friend of the Carter sisters, is tasked with covering the news story.

For the first time, the three women are forced to confront what really happened that night – with devastating consequences for them all.

When I Was Ten is the highly anticipated, stay-up-all-night next book by acclaimed crime author Fiona Cummins.

‘I finished it with my heart in my mouth. Highly recommended’ – Louise Candlish

‘Dark, creepy and ultimately compassionate… a chilling look at the consequences of a childhood gone wrong’ – JP Delaney

‘Utterly compelling; a true just-one-more-chapter thriller’ – Clare Mackintosh

‘Pacy, dark and surprises to the bitter end. Loved it’ – Fiona Barton

Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Family Life Genre Fiction Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic Reviews

Fiona Cummins evokes the dark arts of journalism and politics with an insider’s relish in this rich, intricately woven novel of childhood crime and adult redemption. I finished it with my heart in my mouth. Highly recommended (Louise Candlish on When I Was Ten)
This thriller explores typically dark territory for this author, who has a gift for tapping a rich seam of evil that underpins the surface of the every day. Superbly sinister (Sunday Mirror on The Neighbour)
'Absorbing, tense and beautifully paced'
She is the master of depicting the way the most terrifyingly grotesque and evil psychopaths inveigle their way into the lives of ordinary people . . . When writing from the perspective of ordinary people caught up in horrific events, Fiona Cummins is unbeatable (Jake Kerridge on The Neighbour)
The Neighbour is masterfully written and intricately plotted to keep the reader captivated until a hugely enjoyable finale (Jon Coates)
A crime novel of the very first order (David Baldacci on The Collector)
Creepy as hell and kept me guessing to the very end (Ian Rankin on The Neighbour)
Trust me – Cummins is a keeper (Lee Child on The Collector)
It’s rare that a debut has this much polish. Harrowing and horrifying, head and shoulders above most of the competition (Val McDermid on Rattle)
Pretty much held my breath for the last twenty pages. It’s sensational (Clare Empson, author of Him and Mine)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved every minute of this - but found myself frustrated by the way it was voiced. There are sections in each chapter voiced by a different character and it was not clear to me when the change happened. I suspect this is partly because the author used text treatments in the written book that made it obvious that didn’t translate to the audio version. I think the reader could have made it more easily distinguishable but… didn’t.

Despite that - and having to rewind a couple of times at the start because of it - I really really enjoyed the story.

An excellent story

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started slow and was confusing as to who telling their story at the start but once u cotton on, excellent page turner, and did not see that ending. loved it!

WOW!

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Not my favourite genre, but every now and then I come across a brilliant read like this one. Fiona Cummins has a writing style that's unique and easy to absorb. Full of magnificent detail, vibrant descriptions that ignite your imagination. The visuals are stunning and scary, When I Was Ten would make a great movie. I didn't want it to end. The mark of a great book!

Great twists and turns...

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Loved it. Twists and turns right until the end. Great story. Great narrator. Fabulous

Guessing until the end

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Enjoyed this book. Some descriptions of the parents treatment of their children graphic and terrifying. Well written and narration excellent, highly recommend.

Good book

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