The Secrets of Strangers - Softcover

Kitching, Jess

Softcover

ISBN 10: 176163321X ISBN 13: 9781761633218

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia, 2026

Synopsis

A propulsive thriller about a writer who gets caught up in the case of a missing woman, for fans of Lisa Jewell, Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware. 

After suffering a loss, Janine and her husband Kamal need a fresh start. They leave their family and everything they know in Manchester and move to Bamblethorpe, a picturesque Lancashire village where they expect nothing but peace and quiet. It’ll be just what Janine, a thriller writer, needs to work on her next manuscript.

But the peace of their new village life is disrupted when long-time local Alexa Clarke goes missing out of the blue. Did she leave her husband like some people suspect? Or is there credibility to the rumours that something more nefarious has happened to Alexa?

Frozen by writer’s block, Janine stumbles into investigating Alexa’s disappearance, and the more she discovers about Alexa’s life, the more complicated things become. Nothing is as it seems, and Janine begins to realise that there are disturbing parallels between Alexa’s life and her own.

What starts as curious procrastination quickly spirals into a tangled web of secrets, lies and a truth Janine may not be ready to face … if she survives.

About this title

About the Author

Jess Kitching is an avid reader, writer and binge-watcher. Originally from Bradford, England, she lives in Canberra, Australia. Visit jesskitchingwrites.com or Instagram @jesskitchingwrites.
 

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 176163321X
• ISBN 13: 9781761633218
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320